Return of the Sage
by tomhunt98
Summary: The Sage of the Six Paths is dead, leaving behind his gifts to the world. The most obvious are the biju, walking natural disasters. But he also left something not known to anyone. Something that will save the world...or destroy it
1. Chapter 1: Inheritance

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto or any materials about it. If I did, then I would be traveling the world in my private yacht. All original characters and techniques are mine, so don't use without permission. All my stories are rated M as there are adult themes in this story. This is your only warning for mature content. If you feel like you shouldn't be reading this story, then don't.

All chapter comments will be at the end of the last chapter. If you have a question or comment, the answer or a response to it will be posted there. As always, all reviews are welcome. Please include as much detail as possible about things you like, dislike, things I did well, and things I need to improve on.

This disclaimer is the only one and it is right up front. Don't get mad if you skip over it, it's here for everyone to read. Now that the ugly business is out of the way…

Hope you enjoy.

~tomhunt98

* * *

**Chapter 1: Inheritance**

Eyes. They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. In this case they show a dead one, one without feeling.

Naruto walks down the street, well shuffles. He can't bring himself to care enough to pick up his feet all the way off the ground. His eyes are his and not his at the same time. They have been described as piercing, deep, kind, an open book. This is not correct.

Naruto's eyes are pointed at the ground and have been ever since he came back from his fight at the Valley at the End. Where Sasuke, his best friend, put a Chidori through his chest. And after the whole thing Sakura…

Naruto doesn't even want to think about Sakura.

His eyes now can be described as dull, more of a green shade than blue, and dead. He has the look of a dead man. Alive, but dead.

Naruto walks through the market on his way home, not something that he would normally do. But he can't bring himself to care. As he passes through, jeers and cat calls are made. Then things go south. People start throwing things.

At first it is things like eggs and cabbage but it quickly upgrades to sharp objects like knifes and kunai. They pierce, slice, and cut his skin, but he doesn't even flinch, doesn't make a sound. He just keeps on plodding on towards his apartment.

Things don't stop there. One civilian takes his lack of response as a sign of weakness and runs up to him before stabbing him with a chief's knife. Naruto still doesn't respond. Then the crowd descends. Punching, kicking, stabbing, slicing, peeling. Naruto keeps on walking until he physically is unable to. He collapses on the ground and the mob goes in for the kill.

"**Fuuton: Daitoppa!**" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!)

The mob is thrown back, revealing a very bloody Naruto. His clothes are virtually nonexistent and his is laying in a pool of his own blood.

A silver haired man in a mask quickly wraps Naruto up and Shunshins (Body flicker technique) to the hospital.

**Time skip-12 hours: Konohagakure Hospital**

Naruto wakes to the beeping of machinery. It is one he knows very well. Over his lifetime, he has been in the hospital more times than he can count. He moves his head to the side and sees Jiraiya sitting on the window sil.

"Welcome back to the world of the living gaki (brat)."

Naruto doesn't answer. This worries him. Normally Naruto is very energetic and would be opposed to being called a brat. But instead Naruto just turns his head and stares at the wall.

Jiraiya sighs. He knows exactly why Naruto is acting like he is.

"Hey Naruto. How would you like to come with me on a three year training trip?"

Naruto lifts his head and then stares at Jiraiya. Only one thought is going through his head.

'I want to get away from here. From _her_.'

Naruto nods his head, eliciting a smile from Jiraiya.

"Good. Tsunade-hime has already approved it. When you are released go home and pack then go to Tsunade's office. Oh and don't take the market again. Take the rooftops. We don't want another incident like the one that put you in here in the first place."

Naruto doesn't give any sign that he heard Jiraiya. But Jiraiya isn't going to baby him. With a wave Jiraiya hops out the window and goes to Tsunade's office.

**Hokage's Office**

When Jiraiya arrives, he lands on the window outside the office. He looks in and sees Tsunade talking, more like yelling, at a quivering Sakura.

"As of this moment, Haruno Sakura, your Shinobi license is permanently revoked for conduct unbecoming a Shinobi and conspiracy to harm your own teammate. You will no longer be a ninja, train to be a ninja, or attempt to be a ninja. You are a civilian and will remain so for as long as you are in this village. Now get out of my office!"

Sakura bursts into tears and runs out of the office, not bothering to shut the door. Shuzine walks into the office and closes the door behind her.

"Was that really necessary? Banishing her forever?"

Tsunade snorts. "Jiraiya get your ass in here. And use the door next time!" she roars at him. It is never a good day for a Kage when he/she has to remove a Shinobi license.

Jiraiya clambers through the window. "It's not my fault that the window has a huge ledge. It's like the founders wanted people to use it."

Jiraiya ducks under a chair that is tosses at him and embeds itself in the wall.

"ANYWAYS, yes, I do think that she doesn't deserve to be called a shinobi anymore. What she pulled is worse than anything I can think of. And to do it to Naruto who has trust issues and a fragile mind to begin with just made the decision easier."

"You realize that people aren't going to be happy about this? The Council will try to have to her reinstated," Jiraiya states.

Tsunade chuckles evilly. "The Council already isn't happy with me especially I put to death all those who assaulted Naruto. Let them try to bring her back. It won't make a difference. The Council is my _advisor_, not my right hand. They aren't supposed to have any power and I'm returning it to the original state.

I have been looking for a way to disband the civilian side of the Council ever since I took this job. This is a Hidden Village, not a damn Democracy. Changes are coming to the Council. Even Danzo isn't going to be much of a factor after I get through with him."

Jiraiya nods. This is why his former sensei wanted her even before his death. Her knew that she would stand up to the Council in ways that he never could.

"Are you sure that you aren't showing favoritism to Naruto? He is like a brother to you," Shizune questions.

"Oh I'm quite sure. You see…"

The door opens and an Anbu steps through. With a low bow he speaks.

"Excuse the intrusion Hokage-sama, but the Council is requesting an emergency meeting."

Tsunade smirks. 'Those old bastards move quickly when they want to.'

"Very well. Tell Anbu squads 6, 7, and 8 to report to the Council room. Tell them there are not to be detected."

The Anbu straightens. "As you wish."

The door closes.

"Well, it is time I put this village straight. When do you leave Jiraiya?"

"A few hours after Naruto gets out of the hospital. I checked and he is scheduled to be released anytime. I told him to meet me here."

Tsunade nods and stretches. "Well, I'm off. Don't let him die Jiraiya."

With that Tsunade leaves with Shizune in tow.

**Council Chambers**

Tsunade bursts through the door, silencing the entire room. Before her sits the Shinobi Council, the Civilian Council, and the Village Elders, split even 12-12-4 and the three with her as the deciding vote.

"Why has this meeting been called?" Tsunade demands, not even talking a seat.

"You have gone too far this time, Tsunade!" a faceless woman shouts.

"We demand that you reinstate Haruno Sakura and put The Demon to death!" shouts a porky man.

"Yes, you must put the Kyuubi incarnate to death for what he did to Uchiha-sama!" a very fat man shouts before being severely winded from the outburst.

"We demand you give reperations for those families you killed," this one comes from a pink haired woman who looks just like Sakura but older.

Tsunade raises an eyebrow.

"Really? Anbu, kill these men!"

The heads of the men who shouted second and third are now rolling on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" another faceless and nameless merchant shouts.

Tsunade slams her hands on the table, breaking it and silencing the room.

"Those men broke the Sandaime's Law and last time I check, assaulting and nearly killing a shinobi is punishable by death. As of this moment, the Civilian Council is disbanded."

The room is filled with shouts and threats. The Shinobi clan heads just sit there and wait for Tsunade to lose her patience.

"ANBU!"

Two dozen shinobi appear out of the walls, various weapons drawn. The room instantly goes loud with shouts of outrage. Tsunade punches a wall, caving it in, forcing silence in the room.

"As you may have guessed, _I_ am in command of this village, not you sniveling politicians who hide behind laws to further yourselves to the detriment of others. The Council is only an advisory one. You do NOT hold power, you do NOT engage in activities behind the Hokage, you do NOT undermine _my_ authority.

"I am resuming full command of this village and returning this Council to original purpose. And there is nothing any of you can do about it. From now on, the 'Advisory Board' will have _no_ power to make decisions. They will be at my beck and call and will answer only to me.

"Anbu, escort these civilians to Ibiki and Anko. I her she likes to hear screaming in the morning. Let's see how much information about stabbing me in the back he can get out of them."

The ex-Civilian Council is rounded up, bound, and carried to the Interrogation Department where Anko and Ibiki are already waiting.

"Now that that is out of the way, does anybody have any problems with my authority?" she asks sweetly.

The Clan heads and the Village Elders all shake their heads.

"Good. Does anybody have anything they would like to add to the agenda of the Advisory Board to discuss?"

"I was wondering when you were going to get rid of those…conspirators," Tsume comments.

Shikaku lazily speaks up. "So what happens now? Are we expected to deal with commerce and civilian matters now?"

Tsunade shakes her head. "As much as I distaste paper work, most of it will fall on me. You are only an advisory board. I will come to you when I need advice on certain things to proceed and that is that. Such things will be who makes Chuunin and Jonin, but I will ultimately have the say. I will also be relying on a few of you in areas that I have no expertise and experience in, but no your work load will not drastically increase.

"Oh, and you no longer have as many privileges. Being on this Advisory Board no longer protects you. You break a law then you are subject to the consequences. You will retain all clan rights and all that it implies. If there is nothing else then this meeting is adjourned."

Tsunade walks out of the room.

Throughout the entire 'meeting', Danzo said nothing. But under his impassive mask, he is seething.

'Damn her. She has ruined most of my plans. I must get rid of her before she ruins the rest of them. But she did save me a lot work when I become Hokage. All I have to do then is just disband the 'advisory board' which won't be difficult at all seeing as how they have no power anymore.'

Danzo leaves the Advisory Board chambers, unaware of the shadow.

**Hokage Office**

Tsunade sits in her chair feeling better than she has in a long time. Jiraiya is still there waiting for Naruto.

An Anbu opens the door. "Hokage-sama, Danzo is on the move. We have tracker squad 9 on him now."

Jiraiya's eyebrow almost gets lost in his hairline.

"Excellent. Bring me the Jonin instructors, Clan Heads, and all Anbu squad captains."

Without a word, the Anbu disappears.

"So you are going for it all now?" Jiraiya questions.

Tsunade nods. "Danzo has been plotting for too long. After today I will only have to worry about threats from outside of the village for a while. Hopefully when you and Naruto get back this place will be completely different in how they treat him."

"That's a lot to ask in three years. They have spent the last thirteen hating his very existence. It isn't going to happen overnight."

"In know. But when he gets back, I'm going to reveal his heritage. People should change their minds after that. Oh, and don't leave with Naruto yet. I'm going to be promoting him and telling him who he comes from." This gets Jiraiya worried.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? He is in a very fragile state as it is. He may not ever trust someone enough to get close to him now. Imagine when you tell him and his mind snaps. He won't be the same."

Tsunade shakes her head. "He already isn't the same. He will never be the same, as much as I hate to say it. Sakura broke him and I don't know if there is anything in this world that can fix him. So I might as well tell him now before he come to resent us both for not telling him."

Jiraiya fixes her with an intense stare. "You had better be right. Because if you aren't Kushina will kill us again in the next life when we get there," making both of them involuntarily shudder.

Just then the doors open and Anbu and Jonin enter the room.

"Good. Now you may already know that I have disbanded the Civilian Council and made the Shinobi Council just an Advisory Board." This gets murmurs from the crowd. Apparently not everyone knew.

"Anyways, I have one obstacle left before all threats are eliminated. Danzo." Another round of murmurs.

"Over ten years ago, the Sandaime Hokage ordered Danzo to disband his private army known as Root. That has not happened. He probably is plotting a way to kill me before I ruin more of his plans. So, I have squad 9 tracking him right now to his layer. Once we have confirmed the location of the Root base, all Anbu squads and squads made up of Jonin will assault the base.

"Kakashi Hitake will lead Kurenai, Choza Akimichi, and Hayama Shirakumo. AsumaSarutobi will lead Hamaki Mimura, Yakumo Kurama, and Might Guy. Shikaku Narawill lead Shibi Aburame, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Tekuno Kanden. Shikaku, you will be in charge of the operation." A 'troublesome' reaches her ears from the back.

"Kill all who oppose and if possible, capture Danzo alive. If not then it is of no consequence. Be on alert from now until we have confirmation. Once we do, you will move two hours after that. Be aware that Danzo may try to escape. All shinobi not specified to be in a squad will be posted in the forest to prevent that. Clan heads may use any shinobi you feel are up to the task." That was directed mostly at Hiashi. His clan with the Byakugan will be invaluable in finding Danzo.

"If there are no questions then you are all dismissed. Oh, and do not talk about this without a privacy seal. We cannot afford to have any leaks and let Danzo know."

The assembled shinobi file out of the room in silence, leaving only Tsunade and Jiraiya. Then a boy of thirteen years walks into the room, backpack over his shoulders. Instead of his 'kill me' orange suit, he has on plain black Anbu paints and a t-shirt.

"Ah Naruto. I'm glad you made it. Come have a seat over here." Tsunade asks Shizune to close the door while she crosses the room and sits on a couch.

Naruto joins her, not bothering to take off his backpack. It is then she gets a good look at him.

His most noticeable feature before the change was his eyes. They really stood out from the mess of blond hair. They are even more noticeable now, but not for any good reasons. Instead of shade of piercing light blue, they are now dull and dark with a tint of a sickly green color. His eyes hold no emotion, no spark that was there before, no life.

"How are you doing?" she asks softly.

No answer. Just stares at the ground.

"Look Naruto. I know the last thing you want to talk about is Sakura..." he visibly recoils at the name, which is the only indicator that he is indeed listening. "About _her_, but in time you will find that it hurts less over time. Just know that when you are ready to talk about it Jiraiya and I will always be available to you. Ok?"

No response of any kind, but she knows he is listening.

"I'm promoting you to Chuunin Naruto."

This gets a reaction. He slowly turns his head and looks at her with his soulless eyes. Now Tsunade hates Sakura more than ever. She took the only bit of innocence and whatever was left of his soul when she betrayed him.

Naruto doesn't say anything, but he just stares at her as if wondering why.

"I'm promoting you because one: the Council wouldn't let me, but they are gone so I can do what I want. Two: because you have fought powerful enemies more than anybody at the Chuunin Exams and not only survived but beat them. I think, no I believe that you of all people deserve this more than anybody.

"Three: you have taken more punishment, more pain, and more heartbreak than anyone I know and still you fight. I believe that you will eventually find something to live for again and when you do, you will be unstoppable.

"You have great potential and I want to see you fulfill that potential. Now I have something else to tell you now that you are of proper rank."

She gets up and walks to a random picture that is hanging up on the wall. She takes the paining off the wall and opens her safe (lame I know). She pulls out a single scroll.

She closes the safe and replaces the painting and sits back down on the couch. She is about to open the storage scroll when Jiraiya stops her.

"Shouldn't you put up a privacy barrier first?"

"I already did. The first thing I did when I got here was to make it so when the door closes it puts up the privacy barrier automatically." Satisfied with the answer, he sits back and hopes this doesn't backfire.

She bites her thumb and breaks the blood seal on the scroll. She then extracts four scrolls which she hands to Naruto.

"These are scrolls from your parents. I don't know what is in them so you will have to open them and find out yourself. You should open them here, but I'm not going to force you."

Naruto numbly takes the scrolls. He bites his thumb and breaks the blood seal on all four at once. He takes one and opens it. This one is a storage scroll. He summons whatever is inside and out pop hundreds if not thousands of scrolls. Tsunade and Jiraiya's eyes go wide.

"Holy Shit!"

Jiraiya picks up a scroll and reads it. "Uzumaki Kenjutsu" (Uzumaki Style Kenjutsu). Jiraiya picks up more scrolls. They range from history to clan jutsu to forbidden techniques.

"This looks like the entire library your father and mother had. There must be thousands of scrolls!"

Naruto, who would have been jumping off the walls at the prospect of learning so many jutsu, but this Naruto doesn't react.

Instead he ignores the mountain of scrolls and opens the next scroll. This one is a letter.

_Dear Naruto,_

_I cannot express how sorry I am that I cannot be there right now. My name is Kushina Uzumaki, your mother. I come from the Land of Whirlpools and have lived in Konoha with your father ever since it was destroyed._

_First I want to say that I hope you don't hate me. I didn't fight for you enough to stop the Kyuubi being sealed inside of you. I didn't want to, but in the end your father convinced me. I know we condemn you to a life of hardship and hatred, but I know that my son can overcome anything. _

_I have left you my sword and my armor. They are things that get passed down from generation to generation and now it is your turn. I have also included the entire Uzumaki Library. This has everything from our techniques to our history to the secrets of the Whirlpools. My job was to protect the Library and ensure its survival, so I pass the task on to you, the last Uzumaki._

_I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive your father and I we have wronged you more than anybody else. Worse is that we left you alone to deal with it. I know the villagers will not see you as the hero you are, but I can hope. Please don't hate us dear, but I will understand if you do._

_I hope you are healthy and well. Give my regards to Sarutobi if he is still alive or whoever the current Hokage is. I hope you live a long and very happy life._

_Your loving mother,  
Kushina Uzumaki._

Naruto reads the letter again and again. During this time, Tsunade and Jiraiya have picked up and resealed all the scrolls. Eventually he just rolls it back up and opens the next one. It too is a storage scroll. He unseals the items.

Out poofs a sheathed sword and two large chests. He opens the first chest.

The inside is much larger than the chest has room for. It looks more like a walk in closet than a chest. Strapped to the walls are hundreds of three pronged kunai. Naruto shuts the lid and goes to the second chest. Inside is a set of armor. Each piece is ruby red and very polished. There is a note right on top.

_This armor is the pride and glory of the Uzumaki Clan. It is centuries old and very special. It is semi-sentient and will only allow the current head of the Uzumaki to wear it, all others will be crushed. It will grow or shrink to the body and consists of a breastplate, gauntlets, and grieves. Once on, channel chakra into the breastplate and the full suit will appear. _

_The armor is made from a dragon's scales and hide, making it very flexible and very strong and hard to penetrate and has the ability to harden or allow more flexibility depending on the situation and desire of the user. Being semi-sentient, this armor will automatically react to threats. Weither that is to harden the armor or to physically move the user, it will do so if allowed. _

_When not needed, the armor will blend in as normal clothing while maintaining the protection it offers. When in the full armor is engaged, a helmet will also appear and completely cover the head, but will not hinder the user's ability to see._

_Use it well and represent the Uzumaki with pride!_

Naruto lets the note float from his hand and picks up the breastplate. It is surprisingly light. He puts on the breastplate, the fully gloved gauntlets, and then the Grieves that go up to his mid calves. The instant the Grieves are on, Naruto feels a prick on his chest.

After a minute or so, the armor visibly shrinks, conforming perfectly to Naruto's body. The breastplate shrinks and elongates so that it covers his stomach and sides. The gauntlets shrink and the fingers grow to accomidate his long and thin fingers. The Grieves actually grow a little bigger, wider and the metal crawls up his leg to just above his knees.

Channeling chakra into the breastplate, he activates the full armor.

Tsunade and Jiraiya watch as a flash of red starts from the breastplate. As the wave passes over Naruto's body. Molten red seeps from the wave and after a second, it solidifies. In less than ten seconds, Naruto is standing head to foot in shiny red armor. It looks like Naruto is wearing a second skin. Albeit a very shinny and very strong second skin.

Naruto is completely amazed, or as much as his current apathetic self will allow. He twists, turns, jumps, performs hand signs. He feels a very small amount of resistance when moving, but not as much as he was expecting. While he can feel the extra weight of the helmet, he can see clear as day, as if he wasn't wearing a helmet.

"Well this is cool," he speaks for the first time in a week. But it isn't his normal cheery voice, but a monotone, almost uncaring voice. But it is a step in the right direction. He notices a slight muffle in his voice, like the sound and air are being filtered.

"_Welcome Master Naruto."_

Naruto jumps at the unexpected voice.

"Who are you?" Naruto asks allowed.

"_I am an imprint suit's first user, Kusaki (Ku-saw-kee) Uzumaki. The original Kusaki made this suit after defeating a terrifying dragon that attack Whirlpool many millennia ago. This armor was made from the defeated dragon's scales and skin. The dragon clan, ashamed that one of their own would do such a thing, offered themselves as the explicit summons of the wearer of this armor._

"_I can offer help in battle, advice on any number to topics, or just a history lesson. As the guardian of this suit, I have sampled your blood to ensure that you are indeed an Uzumaki and then read your memories to find out if you are the head Uzumaki. If you had failed then I would have killed you for putting on this armor."_

Naruto absorbs this information, but doesn't react to it visibly or verbally. Instead he cuts the flow of charka to the breastplate and the armor withdraws back to just the three pieces. Almost instantly, the armor adapts to look like normal clothing. The Grieves become red steel lined boots that go completely up to Naruto's knees, making it impossible to cut his Achilles' tendons and breaking his knee is much more difficult. The gauntlets become red fingerless gloves that go half way to his elbows. And the breastplate becomes a red jacket that covers most of the gauntlets.

Overall, he finds it acceptable. Before either Jiraiya or Tsunade can stop him, he takes out a kunai and jabs it into the back of his hand. Or that's would have happened if the kunai hadn't stopped about a centimeter from his hand by a layer of very dense and nearly impenetrable chakra.

"_Self-inflicted damage is not recommended." _Kusaki drawls.

"Just checking," Naruto says emotionlessly.

He picks up the last item, his mother's sword. He unsheathes it and it almost instantaneously blinded by it. The sword appears to be made almost entirely out of light. He feels a very small percentage (about .5%) being pulled into the sword.

'Brings new meaning to the word lightsaber,' Naruto thinks dryly.

While he can't look directly at it, he finds that the intensity of the light is directly tied in with how much chakra is flowing into the blade. Apparently the sword had drawn on the chakra the instant it was drawn and drew too much or didn't realize just how much more potent Naruto's chakra was.

Naruto completely withdrew his charka from the blade and he could finally look at it. He finds his earlier assumption that it was made out of light completely wrong. The katana style blade is just over 50 inches long with a ten inch hilt. The blade is long and very light and looks incredibly sharp. He runs his finger along the edge with no pressure added and is rewarded with a cut.

But unknown to him, the sword has a second stage.

Naruto notices the blood seeping into the blade. Suddenly an explosion of light erupts from the blade, making everyone cover their eyes and looking away. When the light dies down to tolerable levels, he finds that this blade is indeed made completely out of light.

But that isn't the most shocking part of all. Standing next to Naruto is a red head. She is about Naruto's height with waist length Auburn hair. She is thin, but obviously very powerful.

"K…Kushina?" Tsunade stutters out.

"_Yes, that is my name. Kushina Uzumaki. Before you ask, I am not really here. I am her charka that has been stored in the sword from my previous uses. I do have her memories from the last time she used me, which was during the Kyuubi attack. Minato was just about to do the sealing when she sheathed me and I don't know anything after that. How many years has it been?"_

"Thirteen," Jiraiya says.

"_Then this must be her son, well my son, as I am her or at least a part of her. Well, I'm here to instruct you in the ways of kenjustu and in the personal Uzumaki styles: the Dragon's Talon and the Dragon's Scales. As you may have guessed, one is offensive and the other is defensive."_

"_So you are her…my son. You look a lot like you father, in fact you are almost an exact replica of him. I believe we wanted to call you Naruto, is that what they settled on?"_

Naruto only nods, his soulless eyes on the ground, not able to look her anywhere near her eyes.

This gets Kushina to raise an eyebrow. _"So…how do I ask this…screw it. What's wrong with him?"_ she points a finger at Naruto while looking to Tsunade and Jiraiya. Usually when someone sees their long lost mother, they cry and hug. The exact opposite happens to be what Naruto is doing now.

Tsunade and Jiraiya sweatdrop. Just like her to not move around the niceties and just say it with as much tact as a bulldozer.

"He…has gone through a rather…big betrayal recently and this is the result. He doesn't want to talk about it, but I'm sure he will open up eventually about it."

Kushina puts her hands on his face, wincing herself at his violent recoil. She slowly and gently forces him to look at her.

When she does, she instantly wants to murder his betrayer. 'I knew that the villagers probably wouldn't accept him, but make someone withdraw into themselves as a defense mechanism means that it was a huge betrayal.' While she may not "real" or the original Kushina, she still has the same emotions and personality that includes a very strong protective nature.

She decides to drop it as he probably won't talk about it now. She lets him go and takes a step back to give him space.

"_Well anyways, I will be teaching you Dragon's Talon and Scales. After that you will create your own style. It can be offensive, defensive, a combination of both, or something completely original. I assume that you, Jiraiya will be training him at the same time?"_

Jiraiya nods his head. "Yeah. I'm taking him out for a three year training trip. Mostly it is to get away from this village and its bad memories for him."

"_Then I don't have to tell you that you had better not corrupt my son with your perverted ideas. Because Kami can't and won't help you in the afterlife."_ To make her threat have a little more impact, she cracks her knuckles.

Jiraiya is starting to visibly sweat under the collective glares of Kushina and Tsunade.

"Of course I won't. How could that thought have even crossed your mind?"

Kushina's glare only intensifies. _"I know you were and would have tried to. Or do you not remember when I caught you peeping on me several times as well as Tsunade? I will not have my son grow up to be a perv."_

Jiraiya can't answer as there is a hole in the wall in his outline with Tsunade's fist extended right where the only geezer was just at.

Kushina growls as she turns away from the hole in the wall and faces Naruto once again.

"_Anyways, this sword is a Divine object and is centuries older than your armor. Its name has been lost to time, so you may want to look it up if get a chance. Being a Divine object, this sword is made for defending and defeating demons and other hellish creatures. There are other Divine weapons as well as Demonic weapons. Try to avoid the Demonic weapons as they try to take you over and eat your soul._

"_This sword has three stages. The first one is a normal metal blade that can be used to battle human weapons. In the second stage, the blade becomes pure light and can be morphed into a number of different styles of blades from a katana to a zanbatou, whatever the user desires. While in the second stage, it can cut through most normal metals, but demon steel and a few others found here will repel it. The third stage is something you are going to have to unlock it yourself. I cannot tell you. _

"_Now, once Jiraiya gets back in here, we can discuss who gets Naruto at what time."_

Said pervert clambers through the 'me' sized whole in the wall.

Naruto tunes out the conversation. He doesn't really care about how he spends his time, just as long as they do it outside of the city. Getting bored, Naruto picks up the last and final scroll.

_Dear Naruto, my son._

_My name is Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, and the reason for your torment. _

_I am the one who came up with the idea of sealing the Kyuubi no Yoko in you and performed the sealing, giving my soul in exchange for the village. I know that they will not do as a request and treat you like a hero like your mother and I want to, but I have no choice as the Hokage. I won't ask for your forgiveness, I do not deserve it, but I do ask for your understanding. _

_The seal Shinigami put on you is the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal). You may have noticed by now that your chakra is a bit more potent than other shinobi. This is do to the fact that Kushina was two months pregnant when I seal the Kyuubi in to you. _

_Because the seal allows a very small amount of the Kyuubi's very potent chakra called youki to mix with your still developing chakra network and altering your own chakra on the most basic level. You have either pure youki or a youki-chakra mix running through your body making your techniques very powerful with just a fraction of the chakra that it normally takes. _

_I have included the entire Namikaze library along with the rest of my three-pronged kunai that are used for the Hiraishin no Jutsu. I don't know if you will be able to learn it, but I hope you do and carry on the legacy. Included in the library are the blue prints and my notes on the Rasengan and Hiraishin no Jutsu._

_I cannot begin to describe how sorry I am that I forced such a terrible fate on you. I can only hope that your mother raises you to be a fine young man and that you are able to find peace and someone to love and love you in return. _

_I must go now. The alarms are sounding meaning the Kyuubi is only a half hour away and I must prepare the seal. Goodbye and I love you._

_Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage_

_ps. Don't get mad with the current Hokage about not telling you about me. I left specific instructions that you are only you are only to be told when you turn sixteen or you make the rank of Chuunin. I had many enemies that I know would take revenge for what I did out on you, my only heir._

Naruto looks up and rolls the scroll up and tosses it on top of the other three scrolls.

All three adults are watching him closely, not knowing what his reaction is going to be.

"When do we leave?" His voice doesn't hold one bit of interest, making the others recoil at the very dead tone and look he is giving off.

"As soon as you're ready. If you want to leave the two letters here with Tsunade-hime, I'm sure she won't have a problem with that. You can seal up Kushina's sword or carry it with you, either is fine."

By the time Jiraiya is finished speaking Naruto is done. He had sealed up the two chests and tossed the two letters to Tsunade. He straps the katana sheathe onto his waist and places the two storage scrolls in his bag and is at the door waiting for Jiraiya.

He sheathes the sword and Kushina disappears back into the sword.

Jiraiya stands and heads for the door before Tsunade stops them both from leaving.

"Wait!"

She rushes over to Naruto and gives his a huge hug, but careful not to crush him. Jiraiya gets a small nosebleed when he realizes Naruto's face is in the valley between her mountains of flesh.

When she breaks the hug, she leans over to look him in the eye, unintentionally giving Naruto a good look at her breasts while Jiraiya is moving around behind Naruto trying to get a good look. Not that Naruto is looking or even noticing.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what Sakura…" Naruto flinches at the name. "…what she did to you. You should know that I revoked her shinobi license and she can no longer be a ninja in this village unless you want her to be. Sasuke will have his license revoked as well and he will never be able to leave the village. Jiraiya is going to seal his chakra too. "

Naruto shrugs. "The bitch can have it back for all I care. I don't intend on seeing her ever again if I can help it. Just don't have the two of us on the same team…ever. She can burn in the seven circles of hell for all I care. As for Sasuke, I couldn't care less."

Tsunade is shocked at his statement, but can hardly blame him. "Ok, I'll reinstate her, but let her know that you didn't do it out of the kindness of your heart and that she means nothing to you now. Listen…have a good trip and break from this town. When you get back I will see if you have the skills to be a Hunter so that you don't have to stay in the city all that often ok?"

Naruto nods. "That's perfect." Naruto just turns from her.

"Naruto. One more thing." Naruto turns back. "This was not you're doing. You have no fault in how this turned out. She took advantage of your loneliness and used it against you. You didn't see how she was acting because you have never had a relationship like that. You don't know that a relationship is based off of mutual trust and respect. They are to blame, not you. I don't want you hating yourself for something you didn't know to look for. Ok?"

Naruto doesn't answer. She hopes that he is listening. After a few seconds Naruto shakes his head and walks out the door, not bothering to shut it.

Tsunade looks at the open door. "Bring him back Jiraiya. I don't know what I would do if I lost him too."

"Don't worry. When we return, won't hardly recognize him."

* * *

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2: Sakura's Sin

**Chapter 2: Sakura's Sin**

**One Year Ago- Genin Squad Assignment Day**

Sakura is sitting on a bench, pouting. She had Sasuke right in front of her when he just ran off!

'Damn it! That was my chance and I blew it!' she rages in her mind.

"**Hell yeah you did. Just tie him up next time and jump him for kami sake!"** he inner self berates her.

She is about to reply when said emo king walks by.

**"**_**Shānnarō!**_**" ** Inner Sakura yells, making Sakura's head swim for a second.

Sakura makes a whimper as he walks past, not able to do anything but sit there, marveling at his mere presence. Sasuke, who heard the whimper turns his head slightly to the side and sees her just sitting there with a massive blush on her face.

In an act of a miracle Sasuke actually sits beside her.

"Hey Sakura, you like me right?" he asks as if he doesn't know.

Sakura's blush intensifies tenfold.

"Y…y…y…yeah," she manages to stutter.

"Well, I was thinking. Would you do something for me if I promise to go on a date with you?"

Sakura nearly faints. She fights to keep the black spots that block her vision from over taking her.

"S…sure."

**Time Skip-6 hours**

Sakura walks along the street, feeling very nervous. She had just left the meeting with Kakashi on top of the Academy. As soon as the meeting had ended she ran from the roof before anyone could stop her.

"Hey Sakura-chan," a familiar voice comes from behind her.

She turns around and lo and behold, there is the object of her nervousness and reason for leaving the meeting so quickly.

Naruto walks up to her.

"Are you ok? You seem a little distracted at the meeting."

Sakura does her best to act like she is appreciative, but is failing badly. Lucky for her, Naruto has had so little experience with people that he misses it completely.

"I'm fine…thanks." The last part is so quiet that Naruto doesn't even hear it.

"Well, since you're feeling ok I was wondering if you would like to go and get some ramen with me."

Bile rises up in her throat at the thought of eating that vile calorie loaded excuse for a food especially with Naruto. The reflex to shoot him down immediately swells in her veins, making her mouth opens before her brain kicks in and she remembers her conversation with Sasuke.

**Flashback**

"_You want me to do what?" she asks._

"_As I said I want you to go out with Naruto for a while until I say it's enough. I'm not saying that you have to kiss him or anything but just spend time with him."_

_Sakura is silent as she thinks. _

'_Well, I do want a date with Sasuke but Naruto is gross! I bet he doesn't even take showers judging from the smell.' _

_Little does she know that he can't take showers because he gets the water turned off every time he goes to his apartment. He only washes in the nearby river and he can't use soap or shampoo or he will kill the fish and other water creatures. _

'_But I really want to go on a date and then rub it in Ino-pig's face.'_

"_I…I guess I can do that."_

_Sasuke smirks. "Good. Now while you are with Naruto, you can't shout how much better I am then he is or try to talk to me every chance you get. But you definitely can't talk about our deal with anyone or Naruto my find out. This is just between you and me. Just be a normal girlfriend to him minus the kissing part if you want."_

_Sakura nods her head. She can do that._

**End Flashback**

"Hello? Konoha to Sakura?"

Sakura shakes her head free of the memory.

"uh…sure. I'll go to lunch with you but can we eat something else besides ramen?"

Naruto is stunned. Not once has she accepted a request to go on, for all intents and purposes, a date. Naruto quickly shakes that off.

"Sure, but there aren't many places that I'm allowed to go into. So what would you like to eat?"

'Well, if you wouldn't prank people so much than people wouldn't mind so much.' She is blissfully unaware that his pranks have nothing to do why he is banned from so many places.

"How about sushi?" Sushi is her favorite food and eats it as often as she can.

"Uh…sure. I don't know any places around here." Naruto rubs his head in embarrassment.

Sakura sighs and very hesitantly grabs Naruto's wrist before dragging him down the street.

**Time Skip-4 months**

Over the next few months since that first 'date' Sakura goes on many 'dates' with Naruto. Not once have they gone out to Ichiraku's Ramen, but to places that she likes and always makes Naruto pay and always orders the most expensive items.

Naruto however, doesn't seem to mind. In fact people who knew him would say that this is the happiest they have ever seen him. Finally, he has someone to listen to him and pay attention to him.

Currently Sakura and Naruto are at her favorite sushi restaurant again for the fifth time. Naruto is always polite and very courteous, asking if they was anything he could get her or if she needs anything. Right now Naruto is telling her one of his pranking stories.

"Uh…Sakura-chan?" he asks.

"Hmm." Was her response. She has been staring off into space nibbling in a rolled piece of fish on a fork.

"You zoned out again."

"Oh, sorry," was the quiet response. Truly though, she wasn't the least bit sorry.

'All he talks about is some new jutsu that he saw or one of his pranks. Why can't he just shut up for once. How much longer am I going to have to put up with this before Sasuke's and my date?'

Naruto however has no idea what is going on inside her head. He takes a deep breath before calming his frayed nerves. Truth be told he has been extra jittery today because of something he wants to ask her.

"Hey, Sakura-chan…I…I…I have been wondering if…youwouldliketobemygirlfriend?" he says the end really quickly and recoils, expecting to get hit.

Sakura for her part had been day dreaming about her date with Sasuke and was brought out of her wonderful dream by the last part of his sentence.

"What?" she asks forcefully.

Naruto cringes at the tone, but gathers his courage.

"I…I was wondering if you would…like to be my girlfriend?"

Sakura can't believe her ears. Sure Sasuke had said for a while, but damn it. He didn't say anything about becoming his girlfriend.

She decides to go ahead and accept his offer because she can always just dump him. She tells herself that the next chance she gets is going to ask him about it and he says ok to stop she will dump him immediately.

"Sure Naruto…kun." She has to fight down the wave of nausea when she says kun along with Naruto's name. She only succeeds because she keeps telling herself that it is all to get Sasuke, that this is just a means to an end.

"Hurray!" Naruto leaps up and scoops Sakura in an enormous hug. Again she fights down a wave of bile at his stench. She imagines that these arms are Sasuke's and immediately relaxes into them, even putting her arms around Naruto.

Naruto lets go of her and smiles his biggest smile. On the inside Naruto is struggling to contain his excitement. He is happier than he has ever been. Someone has accepted him for who he is.

He takes her hand and tosses the cash on the table and leads her out of the restaurant, noticing the very big flinch when he touched her hand but writes it off as her not being used to contact.

**Time Skip-4 Months**

Sakura sits in the lap of her four month boyfriend. Not that she wants to. It had taken her three months to just get this far.

Since becoming his girlfriend, she too has been shunned by the populous of Konoha, believing her to be a 'demon bitch' or a 'demon whore'. More than once, Naruto has gotten into brawls over someone calling Sakura a whore and a slut. She has been banned from half the restaurants in the city as well as her family.

When asked about dating the 'demon', she told her parents that she was dating him but only at Sasuke's request. Being the Uchiha lovers they are, they immediately praised Sakura for getting one step closer to having his children.

She has also learned more about Naruto himself. Besides writing off being called a demon because of his pranks, she went to his apartment and saw that is was absolutely disgusting.

Pieces of wood on the walls and ceiling were rotten and collapsed, the floor had numerous holes in it, making you watch where you had to step, the refrigerator was broken, and the water was the dirtiest she has ever seen. It was almost black in color.

She immediately left the apartment, not able to stand the smell of rotting wood and the gas given off by the termites in the walls and wood. Naruto chased after her, but stopped after he got to his stairs as she had already rounded the corner, racing to her home to take a shower.

Naruto recalls the conversation that he had with Choji and Shikamaru a few weeks back.

**Flashback**

_Naruto is walking down the street, hands in his pockets whistling some off tune song. He hears someone call his name from behind. He turns and finds Shikamaru and Choji walking up to him._

"_Hey guys. What's up?" Naruto asks._

"_Are you busy? We have something troublesome that we need to talk to you about," Shikamaru says in his lazy voice. _

"_Sure, I have nothing to do. I have to meet Sakura in two hours for a date, but other than that I'm free as a bird."_

_Shikamaru mutters a troublesome before motioning Naruto and Choji to follow. After a few minutes' walk, they enter training ground 4. It is mostly a thin forest with small animals. Teams come here to train their tracking abilities. _

"_So what's up?"_

"_Naruto, have you noticed anything odd about Sakura?" Shikamaru asks. He lays on the ground and watches the clouds go past through the holes in the canopy above them. _

"_What do you mean?" Naruto asks guardedly. _

_*Munch* "What he means is have you noticed any strange behavior from her?" Choji asks between breaks in eating his chips._

"_No. Why? What's this about?"_

_Shikamaru sighs. "As troublesome as it is, we want to let you know that we think Sakura isn't genuine in her wanting to go out with you."_

"_What the hell are you talking about!" Naruto shouts, making the birds above them take flight from the sudden noise. _

"_Look *munch*, don't take this the *munch* wrong way. She is a great person *munch*, but she doesn't act like she wants to be with you."_

"_Did you notice her sudden attitude change eight months ago when she first said yes to goes out with you on a date? She doesn't bother Sasuke anymore, she doesn't go mouthing off about how great he is, she doesn't defend him when someone else besides you insult him, and she doesn't fight over him with Ino. What prompted her to have a complete change of heart in a few minutes? It think that it is because she doesn't really want to be with you."_

"_Look *Munch*, she doesn't act like a normal girlfriend. She flinches whenever you grab her hand, when you*munch* hug her, she tenses up a lot and then relaxes, she *munch* berates you all the time, she hits you twice *munch* as much as in the Academy. Have you ever gone to a *munch* place that you wanted to eat?"_

"_Well no, but I don't have a problem with that." _

"_Has she even kissed you? Does she tell you that she likes you or given you a present or given you any type of moral or emotional support? I see her forced smiles, the strain in her voice when she uses the kun at the end of your name. She stands as far away from you as possible without drawing attention to herself, she uses every excuse she can think of to get away from you, she doesn't enjoy spending time with your from the pained look on her face every time you hug her."_

"_Well we haven't kissed. She said she wants to save that for a special occasion. I don't care about the rest of that. All I care about is that she pays attention to me. She listens to me, spends time with me. That's more than I can say with 99% of the people in this village."_

"_Naruto, we just want to keep you from being hurt. Sakura isn't the kind of person who doesn't change who she is in a matter of hours without something drastic happening that we would have heard about."_

_Naruto lowers his eyes so that his bangs cover his face. When he looks up, his eyes are shining in anger._

"_I don't care about the way she acts or what you think about she would or wouldn't do! She is my girlfriend and I trust her more than anyone! She is the first person to accept me like I am enough to go out with me._

"_Do you know what it feels like to not have a friend until you were nine? Do you know what it feels like to not know who your parents are? To wonder if they ever loved you? If they thought I wasn't worthy of them? Do you know what is like to go home to an empty, rundown apartment night after night? When I can't own anything of value because the moment I do have something, it gets stolen or my apartment gets burned down again._

"_When I'm with Sakura, I don't have a care in the world. She completes me. I can't imagine what I would do without her."_

_Now Shikamaru and Choji get really worried. Sakura has Naruto wrapped around her finger and they can only hope that she chooses the right path because if not, there's no telling what Naruto would do._

**End Flashback**

Naruto is waiting for Sakura outside her house so they can go to a team meeting together. Naruto turns as Sakura exits her house and was about to sneak around the side and avoid Naruto when he spots her.

"What are you doing Sakura-chan?" he asks in his normal happy self.

Sakura looks at him like a deer in headlights. She looks away quickly and cursing her luck at getting caught.

"Um…I…dropped something…out the window! Yeah, was sitting next to this window when I knocked something off and I was going to look as I left the house." She commends herself on thinking up something so quickly.

But she soon realizes that it is the wrong thing to come up with. Naruto is immediately over her fence and on his knees looking for the "dropped" object.

Sakura stands up and just lets Naruto do the dirty work. She contemplates leaving him here, but it would just make things harder for her later on.

"I can't find it. What was it again?" he asks.

She rolls her eyes.

'Can he get any dumber?'

"Don't worry about it. We need to get to the meeting."

Sakura doesn't wait for Naruto and she immediately starts walking down the street. She hears Naruto run up beside her and before she can stop him, he grabs her hand and holds it as they walk down the street.

"Hey, Sakura-chan. I never told you this, but Shikamaru and Choji had a talk with me a few weeks ago about you."

Sakura's heart stops. Inside she is freaking out.

'What the hell were they talking about? Why would they talk to him about me? I've done nothing that…"

"**Shut the hell up and listen and you will probably find out!"** inner yells at outer.

"They said that they think you aren't…genuine as they put it in wanting to be with me. They kept saying that you did things that girlfriends don't usually do, but I don't care about those things. I like you because of those things make you unique. I told them that I don't care about what you do as long as you want to be with me. You do don't you?"

Naruto is leaving himself on a diving board over a deep pool with no water.

Sakura for her part is shocked at his words. He likes her because of the things she does to minimize her time and contact with him.

'Naruto, you really are an idiot.'

She is too shallow to realize the meaning behind it.

**Time Skip- 2 Months**

Sakura is walking down the street having just gotten rid of Naruto at his apartment. Naruto had taken to kissing her on the cheek, making her involuntarily cringe ever time. She sighs as she walks to her house for a scrub down to get his germs off of her skin.

She walks past the main gates and takes a left and walks further down. Usually she doesn't take this route but for some reason she feels compelled to tonight. As she walks she spots a boy with black hair and a backpack walking towards the main gate.

'Wait, why is Sasuke here? The Uchiha compound is on the other side of Konoha. And why does he have a backpack?'

"Sasuke-kun!" she calls out. Said Uchiha stops in his tracks and a smirk comes over his face.

"Hello Sakura."

She approaches him and jumps up happily.

"What's the backpack for Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm leaving. Simple as that."

Sakura's proverbial bubble fluctuates, being poked at by Sasuke on the outside.

"What? What about our deal?"

Sasuke tilts his head back and laughs, a very creepy and evil laugh.

"Did you honestly think that I would actually go on a date with a weakling like you? You aren't worth me spending any extra time with you, much less eating a meal I won't like in a place that I definitely won't like."

Now Sakura's bubble bursts. She falls to the ground, crushed.

"Why…why would you make the deal then?" she manages through a torrent of tears.

Sasuke chuckles again.

"Because I wanted Naruto to get close to you."

With that he knocks her on the back of the neck and just leaves her lying on the dirty ground as he jumps over a low section of wall and out into the forest.

**Time Skip-5 hours**

Naruto stands with Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba at the gates. They had just arrived to go after Sasuke. They turn to leave when a sobbing and dirty Sakura stops them.

"Go on a head guys. I need to talk with her for a few minutes. "

Shikamaru gets a bad feeling in his stomach, but nods anyways and the four jump away towards Otogakure.

"What's the matter Sakura-chan?" Naruto hugs her to calm her down, but she pushes him away.

"Bring him back. Bring back my Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto blinks for a second. _Her_ Sasuke.

"What? What do you mean?"

She looks up, her eyes red and puffy. She grabs his collar and shakes him violently.

"Promise me you will bring him back!" she snarls at him.

Naruto, not really knowing what to do, just nods.

"Ok. I promise to bring him back. I have to go now." Naruto tries to hug her, but she fights him off and shouts for him to go.

Now really confused Naruto jumps off after his squad mates and forces his confusion to the back of his mind until after the mission.

**Time Skip-2 hours**

Sasuke and Naruto stand on opposite statues at the Valley at the end.

"So you came? How's Sakura?" Sasuke asks without turning around.

"That's none of your damn business. Under orders of the Hokage, you are to go back to the village immediately!"

Sasuke laughs. "And you think you can make me?"

"I'll bring you back even if I have to break ever bone I your body!"

Sasuke turns around and finally faces Naruto.

"Then show me!"

Sasuke jumps across the gap and charges Naruto, Sharigan blazing. Sasuke launches a round house at Naruto's head, intent on making this a quick fight. But Naruto ducks under it and uses an uppercut aimed at Sasuke's chin. He sees this however and moves to the side, making Naruto miss and leaving him wide open.

"So, how's Sakura doing after I left her in the dirt?"

Naruto blood starts to boil.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

Naruto's anger makes him faster and stronger. He avoids a back fist aimed for his face and punches Sasuke in the chest, making him take a couple of steps back.

"I didn't do anything. I asked her a favor almost a year ago and she ran with it."

Sasuke does a front kick. He then presses the attack with taijutsu since Naruto's poor excuse for taijutsu isn't his weakest category, but it is abysmal at best and nonexistent at worst. Sasuke forces Naruto back before kicking Naruto in the side of the leg, forcing him to one knee. Sasuke then brings his other knee right into Naruto's face.

The impact shatters Naruto's chin in three places. Naruto hits the ground and lies on there, waiting for Kyuubi to heal his injuries.

"You see, dobe, Sakura only dated you because I asked her to. This whole time she has been faking and you didn't pick up on it at all. In fact, you defended her."

Naruto, having his jaw fixed, lets out a low growl. Suddenly a red layer of chakra envelopes Naruto. Before Sasuke can even lift a finger, he has a fist in his gut. Spit flies out of Sasuke's mouth and hits Naruto's external chakra. It hisses as it evaporates.

"Shut up! Sakura-chan would never do that!"

Naruto continues to beat the stuffing out of Naruto. Suddenly Sasuke can see Naruto's actions before they happen.

'Finally. My Sharingan must have matured. This dobe stands no chance now!'

Sasuke intercepted Naruto's punch and back hands Naruto, forcing him away. Naruto rushes Sasuke once he recovers, but with his new Sharingan, Naruto doesn't stand a chance and is getting beat pretty badly.

'Why can't I beat him? I can't fail Sakura-chan. I won't! I need more power!'

Out of the chakra cloud, a tail pops out. Naruto's fingers are claws and his eyes are slitted. A pair of ears on top of the chakra shield gives him the distinct look of an animal.

"I will bring you back!"

Naruto disappears and Sasuke finds a foot in his stomach. As he flies back, he falls off the edge and splashes in to the reservoir. Naruto follows him down, but uses chakra to stand on the water, making it steam and partly cloud him vision. Naruto looks around and a bubbling a few feet away from him alerts him to something.

Suddenly a burst of flames comes from the water aimed right at him. Naruto doesn't make any attempt to dodge and is engulfed in the flames. Sasuke climbs on top of the water panting.

'Stupid dobe. Can't even dodge a fireball.'

He is about to leave when the fire dies down, leaving an untouched Naruto.

"What…how?"

Instead of answering, lets out a primal roar. It is so loud that it makes Sasuke a little light headed from his inner ear being disrupted. Deciding he needs more, he activates the first level of the Curse Mark.

"Let's go dobe," was all he says before blurring away. Unfortunately for Sasuke, with Naruto's Kyuubi enhanced eyes and speed, he can easily keep up.

With a massive swing of his hand sideways, he lets loose several horizontal waves of chakra slashes, right at Sasuke.

'Shit!' was all he could think before allowing himself to sink underneath the surface of the water.

Naruto looks around and hears a sound behind him.

"**Chidori!**" (One Thousand Birds!)

Naruto moves to the left and finds the tips of Sasuke's right hand through his right shoulder. If he hadn't moved, it would have been his heart. With a howl of pain that nearly makes Sasuke deaf, Naruto grabs Sasuke's fingers and doesn't allow him to move.

Sasuke yells in pain as the violent chakra burns his fingers. It only gets worse when Naruto wraps his tail around Sasuke's chest, burning completely through his clothes and burning his skin. After about a minute Naruto flings Sasuke to dry ground while the hole in his shoulder heals.

Sasuke struggles to get up after receiving the worst burning of his life. Blackened skin now scars his chest.

As Naruto reaches the shore he glares at Sasuke.

'More. I need more. If the damn dobe can beat me I won't stand a chance. More. More. MORE!'

Sasuke's body erupts in purple charka, completely encasing his body. A diamond of darker skin now resides over his nose while his skin is just a few shades lighter. He also has a pair of very creepy hand-looking wings.

"**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The power. With this power, I can easily defeat Itachi. Now, dobe. You're in my way!"**

Sasuke blurs away again, but this time Naruto just barely keeps up. A right hook to Naruto's face sends him back out on the water. Sasuke doesn't let up. He connects with a right kick to Naruto's ribs that would have broken them had he not had the chakra shield.

Naruto slides across the water and rights himself before giving a massive roar and charging Sasuke, who just stands there, Sharingan spinning wildly. Naruto slashes at Sasuke, who sidesteps them and kicks Naruto in the chest, sending him away. But Naruto isn't going down alone.

When Sasuke kicked him, he wrapped his tail around the left leg that is still on the water and when he is kicked back, Sasuke follows him. Naruto lands on all four limbs and elongates his tail, making it several dozen times longer than normal. He keeps Sasuke suspended in the air, all the while burning his leg. He attempts to right himself with his wings, but the hold on his leg intensifies as well as the burns.

Naruto then lets out a massive roar and slams Sasuke into the ravine walls. Again. And again. And again. On his twelfth time smashing Sasuke, he drags him along the wall, leg first followed very quickly by his chest and face.

With one last whip of his tail, he flicks Sasuke in to the wall on the other side on the lake. Sasuke slides down the wall and slumps against the wall, barely conscious. Even with Lv. 2 activated and makes his skin harder, it is no match for repeated smashes and drags.

Naruto pounces up to where Sasuke is. Seeing his grievous injuries and that he is barely conscious, Naruto's chakra cloak drops, leaving him severely tired, burned, and depleted. He limps up to Sasuke, who has lost his Lv. 2 and is back to his 'normal' self.

Naruto is a few inches from picking Sasuke up to carry him back when Sasuke's arm glows. It gets brighter and brighter and Naruto wonders what the hell is going on.

Suddenly Sasuke's eyes snap open.

"**Chidori!**"

Naruto is too tired and slow to dodge it completely. Naruto finds Sasuke's hand in his chest again. But Naruto isn't going to back down. He takes his left hand (the only hand he can use since Sasuke's Chidori is messing with the nerves in his right side) and chokes Sasuke. His hand closes around the vein and artery on both sides of his neck and Sasuke instantly starts to feel lightheaded.

After ten seconds of Naruto squeezing, Sasuke loses consciousness. His arm slumps out of Naruto chest and allows the wound to begin healing. Combined with the previous injury from the Chidori, Naruto has a huge hole in the right side of his chest. Technically, he shouldn't even be alive, much less standing.

Naruto sighs and grips Sasuke with his left and as hard as he can and jumps out of the Valley of the End and begins his long trek back to Konoha. After ten minutes of walking, Kakashi jumps in front of him.

Seeing Sasuke in his condition, he freaks out.

"What the hell did you do? How could you do this to your own teammate?" he shouts.

Naruto rolls his eyes. He is tired of Kakashi's favoritism towards the Uchiha, but is too tired to do anything about it.

"Take him to the hospital. I'll catch up."

Kakashi immediately takes Sasuke and shunshins towards Konoha.

'Well one problem solved. Now I just have to get back.'

Naruto walks for a good half hour before medics arrive. Naruto gratefully lays down on the stretcher and allows darkness to claim him. A faint smile is seen on his lips. He completed the mission and kept his promise to Sakura.

**Time Skip-6 hours: Konoha Main Hospital**

Naruto wakes to a pain alternating between sharp and dull in his chest. He forces his eyes open.

He is staring at a blank ceiling. He tilts his head to the right and sees his chest wrapped in a massive bandage and an IV lodged in his right arm.

"Ah Naruto, your awake," a voice calls.

Naruto turns to the other side and sees Tsunade sitting next to his bed, reading glasses on with a book in her hand.

"What…what happened?"

"You stopped Sasuke from leaving the village. During the fight you took a couple of high rank assassination techniques to the chest. On top of that, you used the Kyuubi's chakra for an extended period of time which left your coils burnt out and chakra burns all over your body. The hole in your chest was closing when you arrived here and isn't quiet finished healing. You will have to stay here for a few days to gain your strength back and for observation."

She is expecting Naruto to fight her on this like every other time, but he oddly doesn't.

"Where is Sakura-chan?"

Tsunade frowns.

"She…she hasn't left Sasuke's room once since you got back. She hasn't asked on your condition."

She watches Naruto reaction.

"How is Sasuke?" he asks quietly.

"You did a number on him. All his ribs are broken, he has a very severe concussion, a punctured left lung , severe burns across his chest and left leg, severe chakra exhaustion, and somehow a fractured tailbone."

Naruto looks down. "So he is pretty hurt." The guilt in his voice can't get any thicker.

Tsunade sighs. This always happens to people who are forced to fight each other like that who are or have been on the same team.

"You did what you had too. You didn't kill him and should make a full recovery with a scar over the burned sections of his chest. You showed a lot of restraint when using the Kyuubi's chakra. Most people lose control while using a Bijuu's chakra like that."

Naruto nods. Tsunade can only guess as to his line of thinking.

"Can I… go and see him?"

Tsunade looks at him over her glasses. She has a feeling on why he wants to go and see him is not for him but the person who has yet to leave his room.

"Sure. I don't see why not. Just…be careful. You should also visit the rest of your team. They are all on the same floor as you. Sasuke is in room 205 down the hall to the left."

"Thanks Baa-chan." Naruto gets up very slowly as his right side is still very sore.

With Tsunade's help, he shuffles out the door with her right behind him on her way back to her office across town.

He reaches Sasuke's room. Tsunade puts a hand on his shoulder in support and walks past him. He opens the door and doesn't get two steps inside before he is punched in the face so hard he flies into the wall.

He looks up and sees a seething Sakura over him.

"What…what was that for?" he asks.

"You…you…you did _this_ to him and you have the gall to ask what you did?" she says with as much venom as she can while pointing at Sasuke's form.

"I did what I had to. He wouldn't come back with me so I fought him to complete the mission and to keep my promise to you."

"You didn't have to put him into a coma!"

Naruto is starting to get mad.

"What the hell was I supposed to do? He put two holes in my _chest!_ He was trying to kill me."

"That is no excuse to do that to _my _Sasuke-kun!"

"Wait…_your_ Sasuke? What the hell? You're my girlfriend. You're supposed to be on my side when someone like the Hokage gives me an order to bring him back forcibly."

Sakura gives a dark chuckle. "Your girlfriend huh? Well sorry to…you know what? I'm not sorry to say this. I never wanted to be your girlfriend. I never liked you. I hate spending time with you. You smell like a pig, you don't shut up, you have the filthiest place I have ever seen.

"You can't compare to someone like Sasuke-kun! The only reason I went out on a date with you is so I could go on a date with him! And when he left he said he would never go out with me so why should I keep pretending to be your girlfriend?"

Naruto just stares at her. His brain trying to comprehend the meaning behind her words.

"But…what about…"

He doesn't get a chance to finish.

"I never enjoyed your company. I could barely stomach it. Every time you touched me I had to fight to keep my food down. I flinched every time you took my hand. When we hugged, I only took it because I imagined that you were Sasuke. You make me sick!

"Did you never notice how I would always pick the most expensive things on our dates? Did you not notice how I would always find an excuse to get away or how I would put as much distance between us as possible? Kami, you are the dumbest person I know!

"And then you hurt my Sasuke-kun. I never want to see your face again! If I do then I will kill you with my bare hands!"

Naruto his whole time is dumbstruck. Neither notice that his chest is now crimson with his blood from the gaping hole still there. What's worse is that the door is still wide open, allowing the entire floor to hear her rant.

Just as she finishes, Naruto collapses. His mind unable to deal with the stress. Sakura is contemplating throwing him out the window when Tsunade bursts into the room. She looks from Naruto on the ground unconscious to the very fresh bruise on his face and the blood soaked bandages then to Sakura who is flushed after her little 'speech'.

Tsunade wants to rip into her, but she has more pressing things to deal with.

She picks Naruto up and faces the door where she stops for a second.

"You better not leave this room Haruno. You and I are going to have a discussion after he is stabilized."

And with that she leaves the room, leaving Sakura to poke her head out the door at the retreating form of the Hokage. When she looks the other way, she sees most of her class and a few of the others glaring at her.

"What?" she asks.

Shikamaru gets up and gets an inch from her face, his own reflecting pure, barely contained rage.

"How dare you do that to Naruto? Hasn't he had enough suffering in one lifetime that you have to rip his heart out of his chest and rip it in to a thousand pieces?"

"I don't…" she starts before being cut off by a now red faced Shikamaru.

"FUCKING SHUT UP! You fucking cunt bag! You don't realize what you have done to him! You are so blinded by your crush that you just trampled on one of the greatest heroes that this village has ever known!"

The whole group is stunned by his outburst. Shikamaru never has done this in his life! Not once has he ever raised his voice. But he doesn't stop with that. He is like an avalanche. He is on a roll and there is nothing anybody can do to stop him.

"You remember your mission to Waves right? You remember what he yelled at Inari right? Well guess what? Everything that happened to him in the past was nothing compared to what you did. After all the shit this village put him through, he _still_ put a smile on. He still laughed and made jokes and tried to make our lives a little happier at his own. You however, had no regard for him and you took advantage of his need for his need for attention and love and you ripped him to shreds. You had better hope that he is ok or else this village won't be enough to save you from _MY_ wrath!"

With that Shikamaru turns on his heels and is about to storms away when he stops and turns back to slap her in the face. Hard. So hard that is leaves his hand stinging and an enormous red mark on her face. Then he turns and leaves, not once looking back.

One by one, her friends all follow his example, sending glare after glare and calls like 'bitch' and 'backstabber' as they pass.

After they leave does the gravity of what she did hit her. She collapses to the ground and cries in self-pity for herself.

* * *

End Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3: Discovery

**Chapter 3: Discovery**

**Just outside of Konohagakure no Sato**

Naruto is walking behind Jiraiya, not really paying attention to where his feet are taking him. He is just relieved to get out of that Kami forsaken village.

But he isn't paying attention at all, just numbly walking along not really thinking (and yes, men have the ability to just do something without thinking, contrary to most women's beliefs that the male brain is always working). But if he would have been paying attention, he would have noticed that his feet are caring him somewhere that isn't in the direction that Jiraiya is walking.

Jiraiya looks behind him to see Naruto walking off at a 45 degree angle from his own path. He yells Naruto's name to get his attention, but no luck. He runs after Naruto before he gets too far.

"What are you doing Naruto? We need to get to my contact," he says.

Naruto just keeps on plodding away like he never heard a thing that Jiraiya said. Jiraiya places a hand on Naruto's shoulder, but the instant he makes contact he is blasted away by pure chakra.

Not knowing what the hell just hit him, he jumps back towards Naruto and tries to physically stop him, but the same result occurs, but with more force. Jiraiya has no option but let Naruto continue and follow closely.

After an hour or so Jiraiya notices that they are on top of the mountain overlooking Konoha. Naruto stops so suddenly that Jiraiya almost makes the mistake of bumping into him. Naruto just stands in one stop, eyes closed. After a minute or so Jiraiya is about to ask what they are doing there when he feels a huge chakra spike from Naruto.

As Naruto flares his chakra to its fullest extent, Jiraiya falls to his knees, unable to keep up with the pressure. A few more seconds and the chakra stops, allowing Jiraiya to breathe again stand back up.

Suddenly the whole mountain starts to shake, forcing Jiraiya to hold onto a tree for support. He looks back to Naruto when the ground under Naruto's feet cracks and falls out from under him.

"Naruto!"

Jiraiya quickly jumps after him, biting his thumb and ready to summon Gamabunta. But after a short, pitch black fall, Jiraiya feels himself slowing on his own. He eventually reaches the bottom and gently stops a centimeter off the ground.

He climbs to his feet and sends chakra to his senses.

The tunnel is pitch black. No light, not even from the hole he jumped through. He hears someone walking further down the tunnel. He feels a very soft breeze blowing down the tunnel as well.

He does a quick katon jutsu and a ball of fire orbits his head. He creates two more, an uninterrupted light source. Jiraiya quickly follows the footsteps he assumes is Naruto's.

After walking what seems like hours in the twisting tunnel, it starts to slop downward. Jiraiya speeds up, hoping to catch Naruto before something happens to him. After a half hour of more walking, Jiraiya comes across a _huge_ cavern.

The ceiling is so high he can't even see it or the back wall. He brightens the spheres of fire orbiting him, giving more light. He listens and follows the sounds of footsteps. Another minute of walking and he finds Naruto just standing there.

"Naruto?"

This time Naruto turns around. Jiraiya notices something about Naruto.

His eyes hold curiosity instead of apathy. They still are dead inside, but not as much.

"Hey Ero-Sennin. I was wondering when you would get down here," Naruto calls in a monotone voice.

Inside Jiraiya is jumping for joy. Not once since the hospital incident has he called him Ero-Sennin.

"So what is this place?" asks Naruto.

Jiraiya looks confused.

"Me? Why should I know? I was following you here then you flared your chakra causing the ground underneath you to cave in then walked down the tunnel. So I should be asking you."

Naruto rubs his head. "I don't know. I was walking behind you, not paying attention, next thing I know I'm down here."

Jiraiya is about to answer when he sees something gleam off the light from his fire. He walks over to is and sees that it is a tray of some sort with a thick, smelly, and dark liquid inside. Having seen one of these before, he directs one of his balls to touch the liquid. The moment the ball makes contact, it ignites the substance.

The fire zooms down the tray. Naruto and Jiraiya follow it around the room. Suddenly it takes an incline and is gone. Naruto and Jiraiya stare in disappointment at the spot the fire trail disappears. Suddenly the whole cavern is filled with light.

They look up and see that the tray didn't end where they thought it did. It just blocked the fire since they were standing under it. They look at the light source. It seems to be a massive ball of fire suspended by nothing, like a miniature sun just floating right above them.

They look around the newly lit room. They find themselves at the center of a colossal cavern. It is bigger than either one of them thought. The ceiling goes at least three hundred feet above them. The walls stretch out two hundred feet in all directions. At the opposite end of the entrance there is a very big shrine.

"What in Kami's name is this place?" Naruto asks in wonder.

"I…I don't know. I didn't even know this place even existed," Jiraiya whispers out in amazement.

'Just imaging the power someone had to carve this place out. It looks to be perfectly symmetrical and I don't even know what that is above our heads and how it is powered,' he thinks, referring to the sun above them.

They cautiously approach the shrine. It is a very old building and very…ornate Naruto decides (think the style of the Forbidden City in China). It is very simple, but very regal and practically shouts power and respect.

They reach the "alter" and a tablet bigger than Jiraiya with something written on it. Said Sannin moves forward, completely intrigued end engrossed.

"Damn. I can't read this. It looks to be a dead language, but the stone looks hundreds of years old." Jiraiya feels a faint power from the stone and

"_Ye of Uzumaki by name and blood, surrender your hands and be judged. But heed the warning: should you be judged unworthy, you will experience something far worse than death"_

Jiraiya looks to the side and sees that it is Naruto who read it.

"Gaki, did you just read that?"

Naruto nods his head slowly. "I don't know how I'm able to read it, just that I am. I think the stone wants me to put my hand on it."

Jiraiya's eyes go wide. "What? No. Out of the question. This stone has a power signature to it. There is no telling what it will do to you."

Naruto ignores him and stretches out his hand and touches a finger to it. Instantly his entire palm is pulled flush against the stone. Then something happens.

Naruto screams in agony. He tries to pull his hand away, but it doesn't even budge. Jiraiya joins in and pulls with him, but no success.

They continue to try to pull free when Naruto goes rigid. Jiraiya starts to panic and lets Naruto go and forms a Rasengan and prepares to demolish the stone.

Right before Jiraiya slams the Rasengan into the slab when Naruto is released and slumps to the ground in a state of semi-consciousness. He immediately cancels the jutsu and rushes over to Naruto. Jiraiya looks at Naruto's hand. The skin was gone. He watches in amazement as he watches the skin grows back. He looks to the stone, but finds no trace of any blood or skin.

Just as Naruto fully regains his senses, voices reach them. They turn to see Tsunade and two full squads of Anbu running towards them.

"Jiraiya, what the hell happened and what is this place and why are you here, I thought you left." she demands.

"I…I don't know hime. What are you doing here?" he asks slightly stunned at her arrival.

"The entire village felt that chakra surge and I came here ready to do battle. Was that you? And what happened?" she asks concerned.

Jiraiya looks to Naruto for a second. "Well first that charka came from the Gaki."

He gets a vibe from the Anbu. A badger Anbu steps forward, tanto drawn.

"The demon is breaking free. We must kill him now before…"

The badger masked Anbu falls dead, skewered by another Anbu through the back of his neck.

"I apologize Hokage-sama, he was extremely rude and out of line. It will not happen again," the bird masked Anbu says, clearly a Captain, if not in-charge after Tsunade of the Anbu. His statement is meant for the other Anbu more than Tsunade and it is not lost on the other Anbu who shift uncomfortably.

"As I was saying…We were leaving the area when Naruto just started walking in a different direction. He says he doesn't know what happened. He just stopped right above the hole and flared his chakra. Then the ground caved in and I went in after him and it lead us here. I had no idea something like this existed inside the mountain.

"Anyways, we come across this shrine here and there is something written on it. I couldn't read it, but Naruto did. After that he placed a hand on it and started screaming. I tried to get his hand off, but I couldn't get it off so I was about to use a Rasengan on it when it let him go. He just recovered when you showed up."

Tsunade turned to look at Naruto.

"You might want to tell the Anbu to go," he says nonchalantly.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? And what makes you say that?"

"Because I have information regarding this place that nobody but the Hokage should know. Obviously you would just tell Jiraiya about it later anyways so he should stay, but the Anbu shouldn't hear this."

Tsunade gives Naruto a calculating look, checking for anything abnormal. After a minute, she can't find any and dismisses the Anbu. Naruto then unsheathes his divine sword and summons Kushina once they are out of sight.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting to be let out this soon again. Are we going to…" she trails off as she takes in her surroundings.

"No were not training right now. Tell me mother, what do you know of the Uzumaki history?" he asks.

Kushina looks confused for a second.

"Not all that much. While I was tasked with the Library's survival, I have read very little of it. I do know that the Uzumaki were unnaturally good atFūinjutsu and we have a very long lifespan with several clan members reaching 140 before dying of old age. Not much after that. Why?"

Naruto nods. "Because this tomb is something that belongs to the Uzumaki."

The three are stunned.

"W…What do you mean? How could it belong to the Uzumaki? They came from Uzugakure, not Konoha," Tsunade says.

Naruto holds up a hand to stop further questions. He turns around and faces the stone. Jiraiya then notices that the writing is different and a lot more of it on the stone. Naruto begins to read.

_Ye of Uzumaki heritage have been found worthy. Heed this message well and find the other tombs._

_Before time itself was created, there are four gods and goddesses. Asumi: the goddess of creation. Kami: the goddess of life. Shinigami: the god of death. And Kratos: the god of destruction. Asumi was lent the power of the other gods and thus the universe was born. In that universe is the diamond in the ruff, the crowning achievement of Asumi, her greatest creation. Earth. _

_Within this one seemingly insignificant planet lays the most complex and sophisticated eco-system ever to be created. This truly unique planet houses trillions upon trillions of unique life forms, all living in a perfect cycle of birth, maturity, decline, and death. But her single greatest creation was born. Humans. _

_Kami or commonly known as Fate, rules over the living, deciding what is to happen and how it happens. Shinigami, also referred to as the Reaper, takes the souls of the dead and places them in hell or heaven. The requirements for either are not known. And lastly Kratos craves all that is chaotic and destructive. Weather it is simple mindless destruction or the killing or life forms, he desires it. _

_Eventually Kratos' desire to destroy grew and over eons, his lust for destruction grew to unquenchable amounts. So he set to destroy the very gods and goddesses that built the galaxy. To occupy his time, he detached a piece of himself and flung it down to Earth. This fully sentient thing was named the Jūbi, destruction and chaos incarnate. __He sent Jūbi down to Earth with simple instructions. Kill, destroy, create mayhem, panic, and despair. For decades, the Jūbi rained down destruction on the helpless planet while Kratos moved on to bigger plans._

_While the Jūbi rained destruction and terror on Earth, the other three Gods and Goddesses confronted Kratos. A massive battle ensued, causing great destruction, nearly destroying the Universe itself. Kratos had planned on this, but he was defeated and sealed away for all of time to. To ensure that balance was maintained, Shinigami was tasked with destruction as well as death._

_As for the Jūbi, Asumi had a solution-The Sage of the Six Paths. Created by Asumi and chosen by Kami to save the world, this man was dangerously powerful, vehemently peaceful, and near omnipotent. The Sage did battle with the Jūbi, but found it impossible to kill. But the Sage defeated it by sealing it inside himself. However, the sealing of the Jūbi had an unexpected result. _

_The Jūbi's Metsuki no Kami (Eyes of God) that come directly from Kratos integrated with the Sage's own DNA and became the first __Dōjutsu. __When the Sage two sons, he knew that his full Dōjutsu was too powerful, to corrupting. So he broke it up: the Sharingan and the Rinnegan._ _The wielders of the Sharingan later become known as the Uchiha and the wielders of the Rinnegan are the Uzumaki._

_The Sharingan will have a limited ability to predict enemy movements and detect, decipher, and copy chakra manipulation. The Renningan will have limited control over the five main elements only along with gravity manipulation and very limited control over the recently deceased._

_There are "tombs" of the Sage of the Six Paths scattered around the continent as a failsafe for future generations. These tombs contain power locked away by the Sage of the Six Paths to ensure world safety. One must pass six tests to gain all these powers. Each tomb bestows a different power as well as fully activating the full Metsuki no Kami._

_The Tomb of the Monk activates the domination over fire. The Tomb of the Warrior activates the dominion over wind and the first stage of the Rinnegan, allowing the user access to all basic elements. The Tomb of the Healer activates the supremacy over earth and life. The Tomb of the Priest activates the omnipotence over lightning and injects the DNA for the Sharingan and activates it to its three tomoe stage. The Tomb of the Protector activates the sovereignty over water and gravity. And the Tomb of the Goddess finishes with command over demon chakra and fully activates the Metsuki no Kami._

_The tombs will restore, if all six challenges are passed, the full Dōjutsu of the Sage of the Six Paths. Each tomb will allow full control over an elemental chakra. The sixth and final tomb will allow full control over Bijuu or demon chakra no matter how much. This is because the Sage was the original Jinchuuriki and had full command over the Bijuu chakra._

_Head across to a place of waves of movable earth, where the sun is harshest and the moon is most unforgiving. Look for what no man can live without. Look underneath the underneath to find the wind._

The entire time, the three of them are silent, listening. It was a little difficult since Naruto's voice never changed pitch, never showed any interest.

"So…this is quiet the development." Tsunade asks, clearly still shocked about the whole thing.

Naruto shakes his head. "That it is. I would have never imagined that I am a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths."

Jiraiya tilts his head in confusion. "So if this place was built by the Sage of the Six Paths and if what it said is true, then do you have control over fire?"

Naruto nods his head. "Not only did I gain power over the elements, but the stone also contains memories of the Sage's personal fire techniques. Take this for example." He points to the giant ball of fire. "That is a jutsu called Seijin: Tengoku no Kari (Sage Style: Heaven's Light). It produces light and heat, but it doesn't burn or produce smoke. I can manipulate fire too."

To make a point, Naruto holds out his hand and "reaches" for the fire in the sphere floating in the air. A trail of fire makes its way from the ball and wraps itself around Naruto's arm, not burning a single hair or piece of clothing, but they have a feeling that it is not due to the armor. In a sudden movement, Naruto opens his hand and swings his arm to the side.

"**Seijin: Binote no** N**arakunosoko"** he says coolly. (Sage Style: Flames of the Abyss)

The flames jump from his hand and whip made entirely made of fire coils itself around his arm. With a flick of his wrist, he sends the fire whip and cracks it on the ground, making a two foot cut in the ground.

The three Kage level shinobi stare wide eyed at the display of power. He didn't make a hand sign, mold chakra, or even use any chakra at all from what they can tell. He manipulated the fire without using any conventional means.

"That is only one thing I can do now without more practice and chakra control." He changes the whip to a sword and shield, then to a staff, and finally to a giant lake. "I have absolute control over fire. While I can't freely create fire without using chakra, I don't use any to manipulate it."

Kushina's eyes furrow in confusion. "Sochi (Son), if you knew this why ask the question about the clan?"

"Because I wanted to know if any others unlocked the Rinnegan," he answers with a shrug.

"Well, I don't know. The Rinnegan is supposed to be an extremely rare Dōjutsu. Only a few in history have been recorded to have it. If it really does reside in the Uzumaki blood, then why would so few activate?" she muses more to herself than to the others.

"I guess it's because the Sage didn't want to attract attention to the clan. If it was known that the Rinnegan resided with the Uzumaki, the clan would constantly be under attack or bombarded with requests to marry or just straight up proposition. Plus it would lead to an Uchiha sized ego," Jiraiya comments.

"What about that last part? It obviously is a clue to the next tomb. Anybody have any ideas?" Tsunade asks.

There is silence while everyone thinks about the riddle. When nobody answers, Tsunade turns to Naruto.

"We can think about this later. Right now we should probably get out of here before the Anbu start to wonder about what is taking us so long. Naruto, I want to go to the hospital with me just to check and see if you are alright. I will not take no for an answer. There is no telling what this stone did to you."

Naruto sighs. There is no point in arguing as Tsunade would just knock him out and carry him.

"Fine, but make it quick. I don't want to be in this village any more than I have to be."

Tsunade recoils at this. He has every right to say that, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt when he does so.

**Time Skip-6 hours**

Tsunade sighs as she plops down in her chair behind the desk. She had just gotten back from the hospital from checking Naruto. She couldn't find anything wrong. In fact, his body seems to only have gotten better. She ordered a few days observation and a blood test, which would take a while. Naruto had complained, but when threatened with bodily harm, he caved.

A knock on her door alerts her to a visitor. She composes herself.

"Enter."

The door swings open, revealing a red-eyed Sakura.

"You…you wished to see me Hokage-sama?" she says timidly. Her hair is dirty and has several knots in it, her skin is clammy and caked with dirt, and her clothes are wrinkled and filthy, like she hasn't changed in days.

"Yes. Have a seat."

Sakura slowly walks over and fearfully sits, afraid of being lashed out at.

Tsunade reaches into a desk drawer and pulls something out. She slides it across the wide desk where it stops on the edge, facing Sakura. Said girl's eyes go wide.

"You are only getting this back because of Naruto," she says dangerously. The item is her license that Tsunade hadn't had a chance to incinerate yet.

Sakura perks up at this. Perhaps there is a chance that things can still work out so she can save face with her friends.

She reaches out to grab it, but Tsunade yanked it back quickly, startling her.

"Listen and listen well. If it were me, you would never get this back, but I left it up to Naruto. With that being said, you are dead to him. This was a parting gift. He has requested that you never be put on the same team, same mission, or anywhere near him in an official capacity. And I am quite motivated to grant that request." Sakura deflates at this. She means nothing to him now. How is she going to face her friends now?

"As of now, you are on probation. You will not leave this village without my expressed authority, you will only conduct D-rank missions for at least a year, and you will only receive half pay for those missions. The rest of the money will go to Naruto's funds as reparations."

Sakura opens her mouth to protest when Tsunade slams her fist on her desk, shutting the pinkette up instantly.

"You either take the deal or remain a civilian forever."

Sakura thinks it over for a second. "I accept, but I protest this treatment. How am I supposed to…"

Before Sakura can even blink, she is pinned _into_ the wall across the room, Tsunade's hand on her throat and none too gently.

"Now listen here you selfish bitch! Do you have any idea what you have done to Naruto? He opened himself up to you and you treated him like garbage. You are lucky that Naruto is the kind and giving person that he is because I wouldn't have blamed him for killing you if he had snapped.

"Do you know the kind of childhood he had? He had nobody. No parents, no friends, no teachers, no family. The closest thing he had was the Sandaime Hokage, but that wasn't much of anything. He is hated and spat on every day. At the tender age of three, he was kicked out of the orphanage and three times a week he would be beaten within an inch of his life. That went on until last year when he became a shinobi and the mob couldn't hit him anymore.

"He went hungry, thirsty, had no water to wash himself. Did you even think to ask _why_? Because if you weren't so wrapped up in yourself you would see a little boy who is desperate for attention, especially from women. He has more issues that I can count and you just added half a dozen. So before you start thinking that you don't deserve your punishment, remember this. If it were me, I would have snapped and killed everyone in this town years ago."

With that Tsunade pulls Sakura out of the hole in the wall and threw her into the doors, breaking them. She looks at the destruction that she caused and feels better. Shizune rushes into the room after making sure that Sakura is alive.

"Tsunade-sama what did you do?" she demands like a mother getting ready to scold her child.

"Giving her a lesson in reality. Oh, toss this on her when you walk past. I have work to do." Tsunade tosses Sakura's license before turning back to her paperwork, stunning Shizune speechless.

**Time Skip-2 days**

Naruto and Jiraiya set out, for the second time on their three year training "mission", as it was officially deemed. They had stopped by Tsunade's office to tell her they were leaving. They tried to ignore the hole in the wall in the shape of a person, but not very well. When asked, she said that she had dealt with a nuisance and wouldn't say anything else about it. Nobody missed the satisfied smirk on her face when explaining the state of the wall.

The blood results had comeback. He had been tested for DNA changes, any known viruses, diseases, or illnesses, and a bloodline screen. All had comeback negative. Satisfied that Naruto was in good health, she bade then goodbye and good luck. She told that they she would continue to think over the riddle and would message them if she had any ideas.

Currently the two are tree hopping, getting further and further away from Konoha. Naruto feels that every step, every foot away from that village, his feels lighter, more cheerful or as cheerful as one can get while being extremely apathetic.

They stop a few hours later in a small village and grab something to eat.

"Alright gaki. Kushina and in hammered out a schedule for your training .On day one you are going to do a physical workout in the mornings. A five mile run, one hundred pushups, sit ups, and chin-ups in any order you like. While you are doing that, your clones are going to be doing chakra control exercises, Kami knows you need it.

"Around noon you will break for lunch. At one, you will create a clone and I will teach it taijutsu and you will learn kenjutsu from Kushina. You are going to spar with Kushina on these days. Around five, we will break for dinner. Then you will relax for the rest of the night.

"On day two you will have a 5 mile run and 100 kicks with each leg on a log and 100 punches with each arm on the same log. After that you will work on jutsu from the scrolls and working on your fire chakra. After lunch, a clone will continue with kenjutsu and you will be in taijutsu. You will also spar with me and I will teach you and improve your techniques.

During all this time, you will have a minimum of ten clones going through and organizing the libraries into the Uzumaki and Namikaze sections and then into sub sections of taijutsu, ninjutsu, Fūinjutsu, kenjustu, kinjutsu, and general knowledge. In the ninjutsu sections, you are to divide them further based on element. In the general knowledge, you will do it by subject such as medicine, math, and history to start.

"Once that is done, I want your clones to start reading up on fire chakra and Fūinjutsu. Once you have the concepts down, I can help you in the more difficult aspects of the arts. I already know you have a very strong Wind element so we can do more exercises on that later once you have better control.

"Oh, and we will be moving around from place to place every few months. Don't want to stay in one place too long for Akatsuki to catch up or pass up on valuable information."

**Time Skip-Next Day: 5pm**

Naruto sits around a small camp fire, eating his dinner of a few fish. The training grounds were a few miles away from the town that they had eaten at. The grounds were flat with a river with plenty of fish to eat. He lays exhausted from the grueling training.

The chakra control exercises weren't bad. Most of it was tree climbing and water walking, but with a few alterations. The tree walking was with his hands with his body completely perpendicular to the tree requiring him to use chakra to reinforce his abs and back muscles to keep him straight. The water walking was done on his fingertips. Not only does it make him have to concentrate on pushing chakra into ten different places at once, but the correct amount as well. Naruto had created a hundred for each exercise, but had to create four hundred just to keep up the amount since they ran out of chakra so fast.

His muscles were sore from all the sudden exercises with the strength training and the stances that he is learning. Kushina is a very strict teacher. She doesn't allow an inch of slacking. She would hit the parts of his body that were slouching, in the wrong place, or if he was doing a stance or a grip wrong with a stick she found. If it wasn't for his healing factor, then he would be far worse off with hundreds of bruises from her stick.

He had no idea how Jiraiya will train, but he hopes that it isn't so violent. But even if he isn't, it isn't going to be fun. Since clones can't transfer muscle memory or muscle mass, he has to do all the hard parts like holding the stances that the clones learn. Every chop of a sword, every second of holding a stance, every ounce of energy had to come from him otherwise there would be no point.

He finishes his meal in silence and wonders off to stretch before bed. That was one of the things he learned early on with training. If you stretch right before going to bed and right after getting up after a day of training, that the lactic acid in his muscles wouldn't be so much and reduce the soreness.

He crawls into his sleeping bag and the moment his eyes shut, he falls asleep; kunai under his pillow and his sword in his hands.

**Mindscape**

Naruto wakes to a familiar scene. A sewer with about an ankle's worth of water. Even though he has only been here once, he instantly knows who called him here and where this place is. He calmly walks to the Kyuubi's cage, intent on getting answers from him about why he pulled him here.

"Oi fuzz ball! Wake up!" he shouts as he kicks the cage, making it rattle.

Out of nowhere, the fox jumps and lands just inches from the cage, teeth bared, tails swirling around dangerously, and growling. Naruto doesn't even blink.

"**Insolent little child. Why are you here?"** Kyuubi demands.

Naruto's eyebrows rise slightly, but otherwise doesn't react. "I thought you brought me here."

Kyuubi blinks. **"I did not bring you here. Why would I want to talk to a snotty child like you?"** in truth, Kyuubi did bring him here, but he doesn't need to know that.

Naruto nods and begins to walk off when Kyuubi's voice stops him.

"**You know, since you're down here, I might as well as make a proposition." **

Naruto stops dead in his tracks.

"What proposition?"

Kyuubi shrugs. **"I will let you use my youki and learn to control it."**

Naruto sighs. Having Kyuubi's chakra would help him out in a pinch, but he has a feeling that the fox isn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart…if he even had an emotional heart since he doesn't have a physical heart. A slight side effect from being made of pure youki.

Naruto turns around and strolls back to the cage. "Why do I get the feeling that you aren't doing this out of concern for me?"

Kyuubi barks out a bit of laughter. **"Indeed. Why would I give a damn about a puny insignificant human like yourself? I want you to change this place. I tire of sleeping in water and staring at the same thing for 14 years. And I want to be able to access your senses. I dislike not knowing what is going on."**

Naruto thinks it over for a second.

"And why should I help you? The last time I was here, you threatened to kill me and kill my friends. I find it difficult to believe that you won't take advantage of me."

"**Look kid, it may not seem like it, but I'm not as malevolent as I seem. It wasn't even me who attacked your village, but I had to pay the price for it. And last time, I was pissed. I had just woken up for the first time in 12 years and hadn't remembered why I was here yet."**

Now Naruto is intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"

"**Several days before the sealing, I was attacked in my den. They wore black cloaks with red clouds on it. There was a man who smelled of snakes, a man in an orange mask, a fish man with a weird sword, and a man with five masks. I was placed under a Genjutsu and lead to a facility where they drained my youki and channeled it into a mindless clone of me. **

"**They made the clone appear near enough your village to smell the humans and lost control and attacked. I was still linked to the clone since I was supplying the youki to make it continue to run. I was able to pull myself to the clone through that link just as the sealing started. I tried to get away, but Shinigami-sama had already been summoned and I got sealed."**

Naruto listens to the story in silence. "Well, the people who attacked you are from Akatsuki. They are after the Bijuu for some reason. The snake person is Orochimaru, a former member of Akatsuki. He attacked Konoha a few months ago and killed the Hokage."

"**Well, it is nice to know who they are so I can tear out their throats later. But what about our deal?"**

"Assuming I agree, how would I be go about giving you access to my senses?"

"**You would need to modify the seal a little to allow me more freedom. And before you ask, tell that pervert of a teacher about it and have him do it. But before you go through it, you must improve your body to withstand the extra amounts my youki will have on you."**

"The fact that Jiraiya will be helping makes me more at ease."

'_To make sure that you doing pull a fast one on me and to make sure it is done correctly'_ he thinks to himself.

"**I'm so glad that you trust me,"** Kyuubi says sarcastically.

Naruto's eyes grow slightly.

"**Yes I can read your thoughts. We are in your mind and I am linked to it whether I like it or not. I'm not all that thrilled to be connected to a teenage mind."**

Naruto ignores the obvious jab at his age. "So what else did you call me down here for?"

Kyuubi gives him a calculating glare. **"How long have you known?"**

Naruto shrugs. "A few minutes. The only time I've been here was when I literally almost died. So far as I know only a life threatening injury can force you to go into your subconscious and I'm not dying and after our first meeting, I had no desire to come here again."

Kyuubi chuckles at him. **"It seems you're not as dumb as you seem."**

"So tell me, how much of my chakra is yoki? My father said that the earlier the sealing, the more the youki infuses with the chakra coils. Since you were sealed in me long before I was born I'm curious."

Kyuubi blinks. He was not expecting such questions yet. **"Roughly half, making your chakra very potent. That is why you have trouble doing ninjutsu. Combine that with your huge reserves, you have worse chakra control than a first year Academy student."**

Naruto shoots a glare at Kyuubi who laughs at the attempt. Naruto doesn't like people pointing out his obvious short comings. "Yeah, and I wonder whose fault that is? Can't even defend yourself."

As soon as that came out of his mouth, he regretted it. Kyuubi let out a howl loud enough to make his ear drums rupture. The entire mindscape is shaking, forcing a Naruto to not only to put his hands to his ears but to stumble to a wall to keep upright. After a full minute, Kyuubi stops.

"**Do not forget your place, mortal. While I may not be able to affect your mind, I can affect your body and force enough chakra to send you into a coma for years. KNOW YOUR PLACE!"**

Naruto looks down at the ground, ashamed of his actions. He needs to get more control over his mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think before I spoke. You being here is obviously not your fault. I'll try to think before I speak."

Kyuubi just settles back down on the ground. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto approaches the cage again.

"So if I go through with this, how will it affect me?"

Kyuubi gives him a glare that would make most people shit their pants while deciding to answer or not.

"**The seal would allow more of my yoki to flow faster into your coils as a side effect. Your body would then up the amount of chakra in your coils to keep it at the same ratio. That will force your coils to grow and expand do to more chakra flowing at a time. During that time, you would be in extreme pain while your body adjusts to the yoki and bigger coils."**

The benefits would seem to vastly out way the consequences. He would have more immediate chakra to use much like how your body stores energy. Your blood stores small deposits of glucose ready for use by the muscles while the fat stores most of the energy. When the body uses up the glucose in the blood, the body then breaks down the fat to gain access to the stored glucose, but it is a delayed process. It works much the same way with chakra coils.

He could use more chakra while not requiring as much for ninjutsu means that he has a huge advantage in the ninjutsu department. Also the bigger coils means that his tenketsu can't be as easily closed by a Byakugan user.

The down side is the fact that it would be painful for a while and his chakra control would be even worse than before, so he would have to start from scratch. That wouldn't be a bad thing now as he is only getting started. The biggest thing would be risking the Kyuubi getting out, but with Jiraiya being in on it, the risk of that is greatly reduced.

Naruto looks at the fox. "I agree. I guess the first thing to do would be to change this." After a few seconds, Naruto plays around with certain aspects. Such as how much water is in the sewer or how much lighting. Nothing major, just enough to get the hang of manipulating the environment. After about a half hour, Naruto attempts to make the change. He concentrates.

The next thing the fox and Naruto know, they are standing in the middle of Konoha only there is nobody around. No noise, no movement, just Naruto and Kyuubi.

"**You know, as glad as I am that it isn't a cage, I would prefer not to be in this accursed village. Even if it is just a fabrication, it brings up memories that I would rather not relive."**

Naruto actually agrees. "So what would you like instead?"

Kyuubi blinks at Naruto. **"Well, I would like me den. It was my home for a century and I feel very comfortable there. Can I?"**

Naruto nods and the scene once more inks away into nothingness only to reform. Naruto looks around.

They are standing in a _huge_ cave. Naruto estimates that the cave is more than 150 feet tall and at least that wide and three times as deep. It is just big enough for Kyuubi to be able to turn around fully. Inside the cave is a small pool in the back that Naruto can only guess is filled by an underground river. Off to one side is a very large amount of hay on which Kyuubi is already laying on, half asleep. Near the entrance is a large pile of bones, an obvious warning to trespassers.

Kyuubi is laying on his side , legs completely to the side, all nine tails resting against the side of the wall. Naruto starts walking towards Kyuubi when he notices something, or the lack of something.

"You didn't tell me you were female."

Kyuubi opens an eye and glares at him.

"**I'm actually neither male nor female since I am the only one of my kind, having reproductive organs wasn't included in the package; though my personality was based off a female fox instead of a male one, so I have tendencies to act like a female, but I can be male if I wish to be. I can use my yoki to grow a set of organs, but that is asking for more trouble than it's worth as I will have the same side effects of having those organs like heat or raging hormones or a hard on in the mornings."**

Naruto blanches at the info. He wasn't expecting that kind of an answer, but it does make sense. Bijuu are pure yoki who can use the yoki to solidify into anything they want. If Kyuubi doesn't want reproductive organs or a stomach, she can do that. That also means that Kyuubi must have a human form as well.

"So I assume that you have a human form as well."

Kyuubi rolls (now calling Kyuubi a female from now on) her eyes at him.

"**Of course you puny human. I enjoy the occasional stroll through towns or in very rare cases to hide and get away from pursuers who I didn't want to fight. I assume since to mentioned it that you want to see it."**

Naruto nods. He didn't originally think about it, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious a tiny bit.

"**Whatever. I'm changing right now. I don't feel like it. If that is all you asked for, then please leave so I can sleep. Come back in two weeks so I can see if you are ready to handle my yoki."**

Naruto left without another word. Kyuubi lets out a content sigh and snuggles deeper into her bed and falls asleep instantly. It even smells the same which brings her a lot of comfort and a sense of normality.

**Konohagakure no Sato**

Bull, an Anbu for Tsunade, moves on top of the roofs as fast as he can go. He is currently on his way to the Hokage tower. He had been trailing Danzo, trying to get a fix on the Root base. He had found it and immediately went to inform the Hokage, but something told him to stay for a second.

A few patrolling Root Anbu stopped about ten feet from his hiding spot. The Hokage Anbu was suppressing his chakra signature as much as he can, even a minor slipup in concentration could alert someone to his presence. Bull pulls out a small mirror and uses it to look around the corner. The two Root Anbu suddenly stand to attention and bow.

"Danzo-sama. How can we be of sacrifice today?" one says in a monotone voice.

"Get a squad and put the base on lockdown. We are leaving Konoha. The other clans and the Hokage are going to attack once they figure out where we are located. My spies in the Hyuuga and Abrame clans alert me that they have a tracking unit on me. I managed to lose them before coming here. Have the base be packed up and ready to leave in six hours. Until then the base will be on the highest alert."

The two Root snap to attention before disappearing. Bull then gets the hell out of the base before he is unable to do so or is discovered. This brings us back to him running along the roofs. Not bothering with climbing the inside, he jumps onto the window ledge and knocks very vigorously on the glass. Tsunade whips around and glares at him, but softens once she realizes that it is not Jiraiya and it must be an emergency.

She opens the glass and allows the Anbu in.

"Report."

"Hai! I have found the Root base, but they are preparing to leave Konoha. I listened in on Danzo giving orders and he let it slip that his spies in the Hyuuga and Abrame clans informed him of his warrant. They will be gone in just under five hours now."

Tsunade frowns. She hadn't planned on Danzo finding out, but the fact that they have the element of surprise on them gives them an advantage.

"Where is the base located?" Bull responds by pulling a map out of his pockets. The map is a blown up part of the city. On it, Bull has sketched a tentative layout of the base that he was able to scout.

"District 5, Section 17, Sector 56. It is a series of tunnels leading into a main chamber and several smaller rooms from what I could tell."

Her frown deepens. District 5 is the south section. District 1 is the center of town and 2 through 5 are the directions on a compass. The sector mentioned just happens to be the closest one to the massive wall, meaning that the base most likely extends deep into the forest to avoid detection.

"Summon the Anbu Captains, Jonin team captains, and the Clan Heads and only the Clan Heads. Make it discrete as we don't want to tip our hand."

"Hai!" Bull says before disappearing out the window.

Tsunade smirks. The hunt begins.


	4. Chapter 4: Creation of Owl

AN:

Just a few words. thanks to all my readers. this story quickly became my most popular story within 5 days with over 100 favs and alerts each. Please keep the reviews coming.

Just so everyone knows, I won't give away the parings. Just stick with it, it won't be long for the parings to come out. I've also received a few comments about the riddle. Please bear with me, I'm not the greatest cryptic writer there is, so it may seem pretty obvious. Just use your imagination and pretend that it is a kickass riddle.

Also, thanks for the suggestions for future chapters. I will definitely consider using them.

to NARUHAREM FOREVA: the deal is there for a reason. Just because he _may_ eventually gain complete control over Bijuu yoki doesn't mean he will get it. It is the last Tomb listed and has the most valuable and expands his powers the most, so it will obviously be the last one Naruto will get which could be years (I'm not saying how long, but as just to prove a point) before he locates that Tomb. Kyuubi saw this and offered him a way to bypass that to get a head start. Never know when he may need it as a trump card, especially with Akatsuki chasing after him. Also, he learns demonic jutsu from Kyuubi who has a lot more than the Sage.

to Wyrtha: I think most downplay just how much power the Kyuubi has. It's a fucking Bijuu! The most feared life form on the planet! A little piece of paper would _not_ be enough to keep all that raw yoki (which is _a lot_ more potent than chakra) away from Naruto. In my opinion, all seals can be fried if enough chakra/yoki is poured into the seal and Kyuubi has the most amount of Yoki on the planet. Shiki Fuin only works because Shinigami himself put it there and he is a god, but it still a seal based on a human creation, so it isn't perfect.

to Kk2010: chapter 2 wasn't a waste. I had to let people know just what she did and the depth of her betrayal to force Naruto into a catatonic state. If not then more people would be confused and ask for it anyways, so I just skipped the middle and told the story.

**Chapter 4: Creation of Owl  
**

**Time Skip-Three Weeks Later: Village inside Hi no Kuni **

Naruto doubles over, panting with sweat dripping from his face. He grits his teeth and forces his bruised body to stand straight, despite the severe beating he is getting. He is sparring with Jiraiya and right now, he is losing very badly.

While he has come a long way in the last few weeks, he is nowhere near Sannin level. He has chakra weights on as well as a resistance seal, making his limbs not only much heavier but making it harder to move, resulting in the toning of his body and a massive increase in speed.

His chakra control skyrocketed with all the constant exercises he has been doing. Two weeks in, he upgraded to kunai balancing. But not just kunai balancing, these kunai had a special weight seals inscribed on them. Jiraiya would make clones of his own and randomly add or take away chakra to each seal or multiple seals at the same time, making it very difficult to keep the right amount. The result is his reflexes in using chakra as well as being able to control chakra outside his body to grow immensely.

His kenjutsu is also going well. Since the concept of using a sword is completely foreign to him, this particular skill set is taking the longest to adapt to. But through sheer mind-numbing repetitions, he is progressing at a steady rate.

"_**Hey, pay attention!"**_

"Wha…" was all Naruto could get out before he starts flying on the Jiraiya's Foot in Face Express. A red imprint of Jiraiya's foot appears on Naruto's face as he flies back, spit trailing in the air. He hits the ground after 20 feet or so and slides to a stop.

"_**I told you to stop daydreaming in the middle of a spar! Idiot…"**_

Oh yeah, that's something new too. Ever since Jiraiya altered the seal (that was fun to explain and convince Jiraiya to do it), it had some unexpected results, one being that Kyuubi now can talk to him without having to go into the mindscape. Another is that his healing factor increased dramatically, allowing him to have a full workout every day and allowing his muscles to heal after tearing and the lactic acid to not build up as much.

Naruto lies on the ground, waiting for his healing factor to make it possible to sit up. Jiraiya calmly walks over to Naruto and leans over him, blocking out the sun.

"Hey Gaki, you need to stop spacing out. It could be hazardous to your health."

Naruto just groans. "Great. First fuzz ball here, now you."

Jiraiya chuckles and helps Naruto to his feet. "Well now, then you have some pretty good advice and I suggest you listen to it if you don't want to end up with injuries that take a few minutes to heal."

Naruto is about to make a remark when he suddenly stops.

"Hmm. It seems my clones are done cataloging all the scrolls."

"You just now finished that?" Jiraiya asks blankly.

A tick mark appears on Naruto's head. "You try sorting through thousands of scrolls as see how long it takes you! And besides, I had to create my own storage seals so I had to learn how to do that first."

Jiraiya shakes his head clear. "Whatever. How is your elemental chakra coming?"

Naruto sighs. "While I can manipulate fire, I can't seem to use fire chakra. The only thing I can guess is that these "tombs" just give you the availability to manipulate the raw element, not use the elemental chakra that creates it. I will have to wait for the Rinnegan first before I can create fire. That is if we ever break that damn riddle." They set aside a few minutes each day thinking about it, but not too hard. They are in no hurry as it is less than a month in on a three year trip.

Jiraiya nods in agreement. They begin to walk back to the camp site when Jiraiya turns to Naruto when a falcon lands on Jiraiya's shoulder. He reads the message the falcon is carrying before burning it and sending the falcon back.

"That was from Tsunade. Apparently Sasuke is with Orochimaru. On the way to being sealed, he somehow broke free and with Kabuto and a few Oto ninjas, they fled and the retrieval team was unsuccessful."

Naruto just shrugs. "Oh well. Looks I may get to repay him for those holes he put in my chest." Jiraiya looks at Naruto with sympathy. No kid should have to talk like that, especially not with his apathetic tone like it is an everyday occurrence that he gets stabbed in the back.

"Hey Gaki, at the end of this week we will be moving on. I think our next destination will be Suna. They can teach you wind manipulation better than me and the physical training will be intensive as well as learning to cope with that kind of environment. When we get there we will also devise a new training schedule."

Naruto groans. That just means more pain of his muscles tearing and dehydra…a light bulb goes off him his head. He stops walking, making Jiraiya look at him with a curious expression.

"Gaki? Naruto?" he repeats after not getting a response from the first one.

Naruto walks up to Jiraiya. "I think I figured it out. So it means…"

**Time Skip-three years**

Naruto jumps along the trees, grumbling about his current mission. While Tsunade never said that she wouldn't send him on a mission like this before he left, he got the sense that she wouldn't. None-the-less, he isn't happy about it, but complies because of the mission parameters.

**Flashback-1 month: Hokage Office**

"You want me to do what?" Naruto says, showing more emotion in those two words in the entire three years he was away.

Tsunade gives him a look that could kill.

"You heard me. Sasori gave up the time and location to meet one of his spies within Orochimaru's organization. You are going."

"It's not the mission I'm complaining about. It's the company."

Tsunade sighs. The Gaara rescue team had just returned. She had sent Kakashi, Naruto, Gai, Kurenai, Anko, and Asuma to save Gaara. They had just made it there just before the Ichibi was extracted, saving Gaara's life then fending off Akatsuki. The result is Sasori is dead and Daidara is severely injured from a missing arm thanks to Asuma and his trench knives. Team 7 is assigned to the mission but since Kakashi is having a problem with his Sharingan an Anbu member will take his place. Naruto has no desire to see the girl who caused him so many problems.

"I know you don't want to go, but your job is just to shadow and provide backup if things get out of hand. And even if they do, with your mask nobody will recognize you. Once you obtain the information, return with Team 7 for debriefing."

'She does have a point. Nobody will recognize me and with my several growth spurts thank to the fox's and my techniques that technically don't exist anymore, things will be…tolerable.'

"Fine, but you owe me." Naruto looks out her window over the hell of a village that he somehow still wants to protect.

Tsunade smiles. "Good. You leave in one week. Just stick to the shadows and hopefully you will not have to make yourself known." But Murphy's Law always bites the ass at the worst possible times.

**End Flashback**

Naruto feels the group ahead stop. Behind his Anbu mask, he channels chakra in to his eyes, enhancing his vision. Since his induction into Anbu upon returning to Konoha almost two months ago, he wears the standard Anbu gear, but with his divine sword strapped to his waist. His mask is that of an Owl. He wanted a fox, but Tsunade thought that was too obvious. Underneath that though, he still has on his clan armor that he always wears where ever he goes, even if he is in Konoha.

Team 7 stops at a very long bridge to discuss what is going to happen. Using his chakra enhanced senses, he listens in on the briefing. So Tenzo or Yamato is going to create a wooden "puppet" and masquerade as Sasori and hopefully get the information.

Team 7 replaced him with a kid named Sai, an ex-member of Root. He was captured during the raid, but unfortunately, Danzo himself got away by sacrificing all of his Root members to stall and give him time to get away. The seal on his tongue was removed, allowing him free speech and his emotionless façade is starting to come down.

The other new member is someone who graduated a year after them. His name is Fugaki Hitotake (Fu-ga-kee Hee-to-ta-ke). He replaces Sasuke on the Team. He is from a civilian home and is more like Rock Lee, being a half way genius of hard work.

An hour later, Naruto is watching over the mixture of Genin and Chuunin, waiting for something to happen. Then a person starts across the bridge and stops in the middle of it. Naruto narrows his eyes at the person he recognizes as Kabuto.

Yamato waits about ten minutes before going out in his disguise. Naruto can barely make out the conversation over the long distance, but he hears it in case something happens to Yamato and is unable to retell the information.

That's when the shit hits the fan. The snake bastard himself appears and Yamato gets the top of his puppet slashed off by a chakra scalpel. Almost instantly, the lower ranked team members run to Yamato to back him up.

Naruto curses. This isn't going to end well. None of them are going to be able to even hold off Orochimaru, making Naruto break his cover. Naruto disappears in a shunshin and appears between the two groups, surprising the Konoha team.

"Who are you?" Yamato asks cautiously.

"I am Owl, Konohagakure Anbu," Naruto replies.

"Owl…I've never heard of Owl." Comments Yamato.

"I am...a new addition. Hokage-sama sent me as backup in case things got out of hand. I will hold them off, retreat across the bridge," Naruto says in his monotone voice of the past three years.

"What? You can't fight against a Sannin by yourself! You'll get yourself killed!" yells Sakura. Naruto tries not to wince at her scream, but isn't successful.

"Please do as I ask. I am the only one the only one here capable of doing this," Naruto says as he frees his hands. He flies through a few hand signs. "**Onnetsusei: Enko no Ryujin!**" (Thermal Release: Flames of the Dragon King!)

A white flame shoots out of his mouth at astounding speeds. It covers the entire width of the 20 feet that make up the width of the bridge and four times as long. This flame forces Kabuto and Orochimaru to shunshin back to the end of the bridge.

Naruto is about to follow them when Yamato puts a hand on his shoulder.

"I will go with you. As an Anbu myself I am curious to know what you can do. I also want to help you so you don't have to fight a two on one."

Naruto rolls it over in his head for a while. "Alright Tenzo, but Orochimaru is mine as I am the closest to him in abilities if not equal."

Naruto jumps off after them while Yamato tells Team 7 to stay on the far side of the bridge before jumping after Owl. Owl runs through some hand signs (not that he needs to, but to hide his true abilities) and channels his chakra.

"**Fūton: Kami Oroshi!**" (Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountain!)

A blast of wind pummels Orochimaru and Kabuto, but it is far stronger than either anticipated and both are flung back with Naruto chasing the snake himself. Orochimaru hits the ground and regains his composure and feels someone heading towards him. He recognizes it as the Anbu and he obviously is no ordinary shinobi to use a sub element like that and does a few hand signs.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" (Summoning Technique!)

A ten story purple snake appears with Orochimaru on his head.

"**You! You better have my sacrifices or I'm leaving!"** Manda hisses.

Just then Naruto enters the clearing created by Manda. Naruto takes one look at the boss summons and knows that to fight both of them at the same time is pressing his luck, so he decides to level the playing field. He pulls back his sleeve, revealing the upper part of the gauntlet and smears blood from his recently bit thumb on a seal.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" he says.

An enormous puff of smoke reveals a dragon about ¾ the size of Manda. Its scales are pale blue with four legs and large leathery wings protruding from its back (think western style dragon not an Asian). Naruto stands on its head, staring down Orochimaru.

"**For what purpose have I been summoned?"** booms the dragon.

"I thought you might like a snack, Hitomi-sama. That's Manda, the Snake boss summons. And on top of him is Orochimaru, biggest pedophile in the elemental nations. Oh, did I mention that he likes _male_ children?"

Now Hitomi is a mother of several generations, meaning that motherly instincts are very strong. This gets her blood boiling. Smoke unconsciously pours from her snout as she bares her fangs at the duo.

"**Come hatchling. We have someone to kill!"** she beats her wings with tremendous force and they become airborne. She takes a diving swipe at Orochimaru. Manda, not wanting to die, moves out of the way. He hisses angrily at Orochimaru.

"**What the hell? You summoned me to a fight with the dragon clan? I will require two hundred more sacrifices for this and pry that I don't kill you myself."**

Meanwhile, Hitomi is circling around for another strafe. "Hitomi-sama, give me some fire."

"**With pleasure."**

Hitomi takes in a deep breath and breathes out a flood of fire, much larger than any human can ever hope of making. Not bothering with the hand signs this time, Naruto channels his chakra.

"**Fūton: Astugai!**" (Wind Release: Pressure Damage!)

A huge tornado erupts right in front of flames, turning it from a tornado to a fire cyclone as Naruto directs the attack right at Manda and Orochimaru. After a full minute of the attack, Hitomi and Naruto let the attack die down. Where the cyclone was is just a large patch of burnt and charred land. Hitomi lands on the ground and Naruto hops off.

As soon as Naruto touches the ground, Manda bursts from the ground and coils himself around Hitomi. She lets out a roar and Manda sinks his teeth into her from an angle that her scales don't protect from. Naruto watches in horror as she shakes Manda off, but the damage had already been done.

"Hitomi-sama!" Naruto shouts.

"Kukukuku. Did you really think that it would be so easy to beat me?"

Naruto turns to see Orochimaru walking calmly towards him. Another roar out of Hitomi forces Naruto to look back. Somehow Hitomi had turned in Manda's vice grip and is proceeding to scratch, burn, and bite at Manda's head. Manda rears back and bites her neck. In a giant puff of smoke, she disappears.

"It seems that your boss summons is not as powerful as mine."

Naruto smirk. "Hitomi isn't the boss summons. I just summoned her because she hates perverts and especially pedophiles. I just hope she is ok. Let's see if how you fare against Hiromi."

Naruto bites his thumb again and smears it again on the seal. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

This time when the smoke clears a dragon two stories taller than Manda appears. Naruto, even on top of the colossal beast can see Orochimaru's eyes bug out. Hiromi has the same style body as Hitomi, only she is solid gold with wings that could span across half of Konoha. Her fierce amethyst eyes glare at Manda. Her snout is long and has several sharp spikes underneath her chin.

"**Naruto-sama, am I to assume that these are the people that injured Hitomi?"** a feminine voice says softly as to not make Naruto deaf.

"Yeah. How is she by the way?"

"**She is in intensive care. We managed to get most of the poison out of her system, but she won't be able to move for a while."**

Naruto lets out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Now if you take care of Manda over there, I can handle Orochi-teme."

"**Very well, Naruto-sama. When this is over, make sure to summon me later. We have something to discuss."**

Naruto rubs her head between the scales in acknowledgement before sliding down her to reach a safe height to jump to the ground. As soon as Naruto is on the ground, Hiromi speeds off after Manda. Naruto walks slowly towards Orochimaru who just recovered from his stupor.

"What kind of summon was that?"

"I created a seal that stores my excess chakra and uses it for summoning. It is like a regular summons, but I don't use chakra and I always appear on top of the bigger summons."

Orochimaru smirks. After he kills this Anbu, he will steal the seal and use it for his own means. In the meantime, Orochimaru flashes though a dozen hand signs.

"**Mandara no Jin!**" (Myriad Snake Net Formation!)

Hundreds of snakes pour from Orochimaru's mouth and rush forward. As they move, they multiply exponentially, creating thousands of snakes literally creating a wall of snakes, each with their own Kusanagi blades extended. They get within 20 feet of Naruto before he channels his chakra.

"**Onnetsusei: Hinote no Yomi!**" (Thermal Release: Flames of the Underworld!)

Fire spews forth out of Naruto's mouth and go about ten feet, but instead of rushing forward, it stops and expands to the sides, producing a wall of white hot flames 40 feet wide and as tall. The snakes are instantly incinerated, not even leaving any ash. The wall doesn't fade though. Hidden behind the wall, Naruto channels more chakra.

"**Onnetsusei: Maki no Kenba!**" (Thermal Release: Hounds of Hell!)

Nothing appears to happen, but Naruto continues as if nothing is wrong. He claps and proclaims…

"**Fūton: Daitoppa!**" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!)

The flames shoot forward at high speeds with the wind backing it. The effect is a very widespread attack. Orochimaru is forced to use a chakra enhanced jump up to avoid the flames, playing right into Naruto's plan. As the flames pass underneath him, four large dogs made of white-hot fire jump after him.

One swipes at him, forcing him to use Kawarimi with an unburned log. Right as he lands he is attacked by the other three. They swipe and lunge and bite at Orochimaru, making it very difficult to counterattack. Eventually he becomes fed up.

"Sword of Kusanagi!"

A blade shoots out of his mouth and impales one of the fire hounds, but it doesn't dispel, only making Kusanagi very hot. Narrowing his eyes, he spins the sword very quickly, forcing a very strong current of air that makes the hound explode outwards. One down, three to go.

As the hounds continue to attack relentlessly, Naruto sits close by and watches. One hound gets in a lucky swipe, only to see Orochimaru turn to mud, via Kawarimi with a mud clone. As the hounds hone in on Orochimaru's scent, three snakes shoot out of the ground and wrap themselves around the hounds. This is only for a second as the snakes are incinerated, but that is all Orochimaru need.

"**Fūton:** **Daitoppa!**"

A fierce wind screeches around the clearing and the trees right at the hounds. As the wind hit them, it is so great that it snuffs out the fires in seconds.

Naruto then sees Orochimaru walk into the clearing, breathing heavily.

"Damn that was close. I haven't had to fight like this in years," he breathes before he sets his eyes on Naruto. "Who are you?"

Naruto looks at him behind his mask. "Someone you shouldn't cross."

As that exact second, Manda slams down into the ground, creating a huge impact crater. Not a second later, Hiromi slams down on top of him, creating an even bigger crater. As the smoke clears, Hiromi is seen with one of her massive front legs pinning Manda down, her jaws very close to the soft spot right behind his head. He is covered in scratches and cuts and burn marks.

Manda looks at Orochimaru with hate in his eyes. **"Don't you dare summon me again or I will kill you,"** before he vanishes in a puff of smoke.

Hiromi turns to Orochimaru and growls, her head low to the ground, prepared to pounce. She lets out a very deep and low growl that makes the earth tremble.

"I suggest you retreat Orochi-teme or you won't leave this clearing alive," Naruto says impassively behind his mask as he walks up beside Hiromi. He places a hand on Hiromi's neck, just behind her head.

Orochimaru may be mad with power lust, but he isn't stupid. He knows when he his outmatched.

"I won't forget this. Your days are numbered," he hisses out, clearly pissed before shunshins away.

Naruto walks in front of Hiromi and scratches her nose. "Thanks for the help. I would have had a hard time taking both of them by myself."

Hiromi lays her head on the ground, allowing him to continue his scratching, as it is the closest she can get to looking him in the eyes at his level.

"**No problem. That's what I'm here for. I must say that I enjoyed turning that snake into a wallet. I'll make one for Hitomi."** She raises her tail and shows a large piece of snake skin laying on it as a trophy.

"Right…well I'm off. No telling how much time the mission will take before I get back to somewhere I can summon you. I'll see you later Hiromi-sama," he says with a low bow.

"**Take care of yourself."**

With that she disappears back to the summons realm visiting Hitomi to give her the snake skin. He walks back to the bridge and finds Yamato being treated by Sakura. Fugaki is standing guard and Sai is sitting with his legs dangling over the side drawing. To an outsider, it may seem like he isn't paying attention, but his body language is saying differently.

"What's his diagnosis?" Naruto asks.

"Several cut muscles and tendons, a concussion, and severe chakra exhaustion. What happens now?" she looks to Naruto.

Naruto sighs. "Well, the mission is a failure. We didn't get any new information out of Kabuto before Orochimaru showed up. Though I can't help feeling that this was a setup to kill Sasori to begin with so there probably wasn't much to learn anyways. We will head back to Konoha and report to Tsunade-sama. Is Yamato stable to move?"

Sakura hesitates. "I don't know. My medical knowledge is average at best."

"Then we will err on the side of caution. Do what you can. We will rest here until tomorrow before moving out. I will message ahead and let Tsunade-sama know of our status."

With that he summons a small dragon about the length of his arm. The dragon is very long and has no legs and a flat snout. It is a conglomerate of colors from red to orange to yellow.

"**How can I help you?"** it squeaks.

"I need you to deliver this message to Tsunade-sama in the Hokage tower in Konohagakure. Return if she has a reply, but if not then you can go home young one," he says before handing the small dragon a scroll.

"**Sure thing Na…"**

Naruto quickly places a hand over the dragon's mouth.

"While I'm wearing this mask, please call me Owl," he says calmly.

"**Sure thing Owl-sama. I'll take your message as quick as I can."**

The dragon flies off at a high speed that didn't seem possible for something so small. The whole time, the three conscious members of Team 7 were watching the interaction. Sakura gets curious about the identity of the Owl masked Anbu, but decides to ask about it later.

**Time Skip-1 Week**

Naruto leads Team 7 into the village, not bothering to stop at the check in at the gate, seeing how Anbu don't get questioned. They took Yamato to the hospital first and Naruto alone went to report to Tsunade. After a thorough debriefing, Tsunade sent him off, he instantly shunshins to his apartment.

He arrives and takes off his Anbu mask. Although he has been back for a few months, he doesn't go anywhere without some kind of mask on as he doesn't want people to know he is back. It's more of the fact he doesn't want to talk to people than he doesn't want people to know he is back. He walks back to his room and opens the door, only to find someone already there, in his bed.

"Kyuubi, you have your own room," he states.

Although she is pretending to be asleep, he sees the slight frown on her face. He rips the blanket off and sees her completely naked, but he isn't fazed by this. She walks around most of the time like that around him, so he is used to it. She has red eyes with matching hair, nails, and landing strip. He didn't want to know the last part, but with her naked most of the time, it was only a matter of time. She has very long, slim legs and delicate skin.

"**But foxy-kun, I like yours,"** she wines.

Ever since he and Jiraiya found a way to release her safely a year and a half ago, she has been trying to get him to sleep with her for an unknown reason. Mostly she stays in the city, but Naruto left some of the seal intact, enabling her to go inside Naruto's body whenever she feels like. It is also a way for her to go on missions with him as she is not a citizen or a shinobi of Konoha.

In order to unseal her, Naruto had to reduce the seal, little by little. Once a week, he would weaken the seal and each time a flood of yoki would come out, forcing him to be pained the entire week as his body adjusts to producing more and more chakra and expanding his coils to match. This went on for months. After four months of having absolutely no chakra control, he finally ripped the seal apart allowing her to come out.

At the end of it, Naruto has as much raw chakra as the Nibi. It took him a full three months and tens of thousands of Shadow Clones to have control of his reserves. Even now he doesn't have full control, but with an almost never ending supply, that really isn't much of a problem. His chakra coils hold as much as a normal Jonin has total. Not even a Hyuuga can close his tenketsu.

One of the most interesting things though is that after Kyuubi was free of the seal, Naruto's body began producing yoki her absence in the same quantities to keep the ratio right. Kyuubi then explained how because he was only a few months along as a fetus, the sealing forced a genetic change, making Naruto a half-demon. It was only until now that Kyuubi is no longer providing the yoki that his body made use of the genetic changes. He would stop aging at 21 and can use yoki without recourse.

Of course, not all the changes were because he is half-demon. Because of the malnutrition on his early years, his growth was stunted. Kyuubi rectified this by forcing Naruto's body through months of constant growth to make up for lost time. He is now 16 and 6'2".

Naruto folds the comforter and starts to take off his Anbu gear. Kyuubi, seeing him completely ignore her, frowns even more. She sits up and hugs him from behind, her massive assets pushing into his back.

"**Come on foxy. Why won't you pay attention to me? I've tried everything I can think of. Is there no way to break you out of your shell?"**

Not once has Naruto broken or even talked much about himself, though not from lack of trying. Twice a week she would pull Naruto into his mind and try to get him to talk to him, but that wouldn't work. Kushina would try to get to know him, but he mostly ignored her outside of training. Jiraiya had tried the hardest. He tried physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion, emotional stimulation; everything he can think of and nothing worked.

"Please get dressed."

Naruto pulled out of her grip and undressed and got in the shower. Kyuubi stands there, not moving from her spot. A single tear rolls down her face.

'_I'm sorry Naruto. It's because of my presence that you are so hurt. I swear I'll get that pink bitch back for making you like this.'_

Just then an Anbu knocks at the front door. He storms in without it being let in and goes right to Naruto's room. Kyuubi had just enough time to use her yoki to make herself decent before the Horse Anbu appears in his room. He turns to Kyuubi.

"Uzumaki Naruto is summoned immediately to the council chambers. I am to escort him there now, even if I have to drag him," he says to her with a condescending voice.

The Anbu tries to make his way past her to drag Naruto out of the shower when Kyuubi grabs his hand in a vice grip.

"**Thank you, but we can get there on our own. Now leave before I make you."**

Horse just scoffs and tries to get out of her grip, but Kyuubi doesn't let go.

"You will let me proceed with my mission or suffer the consequences."

When she doesn't let go, he winds up to strike her when she increases the force on her grip, forcing him to the ground. He looks to her eyes and sees them burning with rage.

"**As I told you before, we know where it is."**

She hosts him up and walks to the door and kicks him out into the street and just lies there, unmoving. It isn't the force of the impact with the concrete that made him pass out, it was the kick to the balls with Tsunade-like strength that made him succumb to unconsciousness.

She walks back to Naruto's room to see him dressed in a grey hoodie, gauntlets, Grieves, and Anbu pants.

"What was that about?" He had heard someone in his bedroom and then Kyuubi speak.

"**We have been summoned to the Advisory Board. The Anbu was about to drag you out of the shower to bring you to the council chambers. I stopped him and he is now nowhere able to perform his job."**

Naruto gets a bad feeling about the condition of the Anbu that Kyuubi left him in, but lets it go.

Kyuubi disappears into the seal and Naruto walks out of his apartment, this time a blank Anbu mask on, and sees the Anbu still lying on the concrete. Naruto walks over to him and lifts his mask. On the inside and Naruto sees something. He goes over and examines the man before picking up the man and carrying him over his shoulder to the council room.

When Naruto walks in, he sees the Advisory Board all looking at him with the Anbu over his shoulder. He tosses the mask to the clan heads after dumping the unconscious man unceremoniously on to the floor near an Anbu.

"It appears that Danzo is not yet done with Konoha."

The Board looks concerned about this. They pass around the mask and find the kanji for ROOT inscribed on the inside.

"He also has a seal on his tongue. If that doesn't prove he is a Root than I don't know what will," Naruto informs the Board. He knows about the council purges, as they are called by the shinobi, and knows that Danzo is now a B-rank missing nin.

"We will deal with this another time. Anbu, take him to Ibiki and have him begin the standard seal breaking that Jiraiya made. Oh and make sure to search for cyanide capsules. Ibiki then has my authority to find out whatever he can by any means necessary." The Anbu salutes and disappears in a shunshin with the Root spy. Tsunade then turns to Naruto.

"Now Naruto, I do believe that you have some inheritance for me to give you still. Here are the keys to the Namikaze estate. I have unlocked your clan accounts so those are available for use. The Board will also like to know your abilities so we may plan on later events. You have the option of not telling though as I won't force you."

Naruto takes the keys and pockets them and turns to the Board. He takes off the mask. The board all take a collective breath.

"You…You have the Rinnegan?" Choza asks.

Naruto nods.

"How do you possess such a bloodline? We don't know enough about it for us to know."

Naruto shakes his head. This is going to take a long time to explain.

After finishing telling the Uzumaki history up to the Sage and how the Uchiha have the Sharingan he becomes silent. He left out the tombs and the fact that he can gain the Sharingan, but nobody needs to know about that.

"I won't tell you what I can do as no ninja reveals what they can do unless they have to. Sorry, but even as heads of the Clans, you hide what exactly you can do, so I don't see why I should reveal what I can do. For now, just know that I have an affinity with all elements and gravity."

"Well, have you gained control over the Kyuubi at all?" Shikaku asks, hoping to get something out of him besides a textbook answer that all of them knew he had.

"It's interesting you should ask. Actually Kyuubi isn't linked to me anymore, but she prefers to stay with me for whatever reason. As such I no longer have access to her yoki. But before I had up to four tails."

A poof of smoke and standing next to Naruto is a waist high red fox with nine swirling tails. The entire board jumps back and prepares to fight.

Kyuubi chuckles at the Board's reactions. **"And what can you do against me mortals?"**

The Board is about to jump Kyuubi when Tsunade slams a hand on the table getting everyone's attention.

"I can assure you that if Kyuubi wanted us dead, we would be a long time ago. She has been out for over a year. She holds this village in contempt, but the only things keeping her from destroying this village is Naruto, so be glad he likes this city for some reason."

"**Yes, and you should be very happy that I'm letting this shit village continue after seeing what this village did you a **_**child**_**. No Bijuu would ever subject someone to that much mental, physical, or emotional trauma. I'm even amazed that Naruto isn't even more messed up than he already is."**

One clan head is about to speak up when Tsunade cuts him off. "He already has had a full physiological evaluation, like all shinobi do every six months, is deemed fit for duty. How I don't know, but I had our best counselor do his evaluation. Even now he has sessions and will probably continue to see a counselor for the rest of his life. With that, Naruto, you may leave. We still have some budget items to go over."

Naruto nods his head and leaves after Kyuubi poofs back into Naruto. Right before he exits, Kyuubi reappears beside him in her human form. As much as she would like to scare the shit out of the villagers, it would only cause more problems.

Naruto leads the way, not even registering Kyuubi beside him. He leads the way to the Namikaze compound. He has been by there a few times after he got back just to see what it looks like, but unable to get inside.

He opens the gate with a _click_ and a seal appeared. Recognizing it, he rubs some blood on it and the gate swings open. Naruto and Kyuubi looks at the _huge_ compound. By the gate is a map and Naruto takes a look. The compound has a dozen fairly large houses, two hot springs-one for women along with a matching one for men on the opposite side of the compound and a mixed spring (the two separate genders is counted as one), two dojo, a market, three outdoor training grounds, a recreation center, and a clan center.

The clan center is where the current head of the clan resides with his/her family and is the largest building in the compound. This is also where the clan offices are located. It has three stories. The first floor being for clan business: offices and storages spaces to run the clan on the first floor. The second is for clan meetings and discussions as well as the clan head's personal study. The third for is reserved for the Clan head's family.

Naruto had only been inside the clan center, but got no further than the first floor due to the seals. Now that he has the keys, he has access to all the buildings, floors, and doors. Today is for exploring. He didn't have anything else to do today, so he is free to do so.

"**It's very big."**

Naruto rolls his eyes at the innuendo.

"Why did you come? You know it is dangerous for people to see you."

Kyuubi pouts cutely. **"Aww. Does Naru-kun not want me around?"** She pauses for effect. Seeing no reaction she sighs. **"I am damn determined to break you out of this funk you're in. If that means that I spend every minute of the day beside you then I will. Even if it means sharing my bed with you, I'll do it. Nobody deserves what happened to you and you won't be happy with someone unless you get out of the state you're in, so buck up or get used to it."**

She doesn't say it, but she hopes that it is with her. Over the years, even before she met Naruto face to face, she was watching his memories and she respects him a great deal. The amount of fortitude and resilience he possesses is beyond comprehension. She would have snapped long ago, but Naruto held it in and gave everyone a smile and a joke, hoping to take other's sadness away, even at the cost of his own. He is everything she sees a mate should be and more. But first she has to pry him loose of his apathy.

Naruto, not knowing the thoughts going on in her mind just shrugs and continues to explore. He covers the entire compound, every home (none are even relatively similar in shape and design), all the offices. The only place he didn't go is the third floor of the Clan Center. He had his hand on the doorknob, but unable to turn it and take that final step. Kyuubi wanted to go to him, but in his current state, he wouldn't accept her nor would she be welcome. This is something he has to do.

They leave the compound and go home. Naruto undresses and doesn't bother with dinner and goes straight to bed. Kyuubi sits against his door and leans her head against it, deep in thought. Sometime later, she hears a something. It is so soft that she almost didn't hear it. A sniffle. More come now as Naruto tries to stem the flow of tears for what he could have had, but instead had his childhood taken away.

Kyuubi's heart sinks and wishes she could comfort him, hold him, let him know that it's going to be ok. It breaks her heart to see such pain and sorrow in someone so young. Sure she has seen things worse than what Naruto has gone through, but never has she seen such malice and hatred directed toward a _child_ before. Kyuubi listens to him cry and sheds silent tears for him and eventually falls asleep against the door, tear stains visible on her flawless skin.

**Time Skip-2 days**

Naruto stands in the middle of Tsunade's office, waiting to see if she approves of his next mission. It is a mission to Kirigakure to activate the next sequence of Tombs, the Tomb of the Protector. He had just deciphered the message from the last tomb they activated. Tsunade is mulling over letting him go by himself or with a team and having to explain to the new people about him.

Naruto recalls the Tomb of the Warrior in Suna that unlocked his Rinnegan.

**Flashback-2 years**

Jiraiya and Naruto approach the gates of Suna, having just finished trekking across the desert with very little stops. They is immediately accosted by two Chuunin at the gate, the leader thinking he should show off to his newly instated guard next to him who happens to be obscenely hot.

"Halt! Present your ID's or else!" he demands.

Naruto, not really in the happiest of moods from the early stages of dehydration, growls at the attitude of the upstart Chuunin. Said Chuunin hears the growl, but keeps up his tough-guy charade, clearly not knowing that not only is Jiraiya a Sannin and way out of his league but that Naruto is a personal friend of the Kazekage.

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it hair piece?" Naruto shoots back.

The leader stared blankly at him. He turns red from rage and embarrassment from the jab. He happens to be an older and due to genetics, started losing his hair at an early age and is forced to wear a toupee to cover up his chronic baldness. Now the hottie beside knows it, reducing her opinion of him.

Seeing her commander starting to lose his temper, the new Chuunin timidly approaches him.

"Um…Tenzo-sempai, maybe we should just be nice."

Now that the old man has her poking at him to let it go, he can't unless he wants to be made a fool of. Glaring at Naruto, he gets directly in his path.

"Papers or else."

Naruto's eyebrow twitches. Moving faster than the Chuunin can see, Naruto spins the man around before forming a tiger hand sign. The new Chuunin recognizes it and starts to move forward.

"Watch out sempai!" she shouts, but too late.

"**Konohagakure Hidden Secret Taijutsu Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!**"

Naruto plunges his two index fingers deep into the man's rectum, making him shoot off at tremendous speeds. Everyone there is shell shocked that Naruto would use such a technique. This is the scene that Gaara arrives to.

"It seems that you cause trouble where ever you go. It's good to see you Naruto."

Naruto walks over and takes his ha…WHAM!

**Flashback End**

Naruto groans as he reverts back to reality as he slowly gets off the floor with much effort on his part. The chair that was used as a flying projectile lies smashed in a few pieces a few feet from his head and a giant lump on his head, indicating just how hard she threw it. The chair was solid wood, one piece, not a speck of glue on it

"Don't go into random flashbacks when I'm talking to you!" Tsunade yells.

Naruto holds his head as he lifts himself off the floor. He sways dangerously and has to hold onto the back of a chair to keep his balance.

"What were you saying now?"

Tsunade growls, but continues where she left off.

"You can go to Kirigakure, but you will have a slug with you at all times in case something happens. And take Kyuubi with you. I know she goes where she wants now, but since you won't have any backup and I can't assign a guard, she is the best bet to keep you safe. Also, Mizu no Kuni is in the middle of a civil war, a fight between the bloodline clans and the Mizukage who wants to exterminate them. You will not participate in helping either. It will strictly be defensive rules of engagement. Is that clear?"

Naruto nods his head. If he, a Konoha ninja were to engage in a battle with the current Mizukage and the rebels are defeated, it will spell very serious consequences for Konoha. If he were to side with the Mizukage, then Konoha could be caught up in the political nightmare that the Bloodline purges are.

"What? I didn't hear you," Tsunade presses, talking no chance that he doesn't understand her words.

"Yes, I understand, Tsunade-sama. How long do I have to complete the mission and what will my cover be?"

"You have 1 and a half months to complete the mission and an additional two months for travel as it takes three weeks to sail to Kiri no kuni. As for your cover, you will be going under the guise that Konoha is looking for an alliance and you are there to see if Kiri is what we are looking for. This should make is so you can look around without people getting suspicious. Any questions?"

He shakes his head. "I'll leave within the hour."

Naruto turns to the door.

"Naruto"

He turns to look at Tsunade.

"Be careful."

Naruto nods and disappears.

Tsunade turns to look out the windows that overlook the village.

'_What will it take to break you out of that mask?'_

**Boarder of Hi no Kuni**

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

A small puff of smoke appears before Naruto. He blinks. He was expecting an enourmous amount of smoke that Boss summons usually produce because of their size. When the smoke clears, a woman stands before him. She has waste length bright golden hair, the color of a sunflower, wrapped up in an intricate bun that has a few stray strands reaching to the bottom of her neck. She is tall and wrapped in an elegant, yet simple kimono. This does nothing to hide her…fun bags. Her _large_ fun bags.

'She rivals Ba-chan,' he thinks before he stops himself. This is the first time in two years that he has seen Hiromi in her human form.

Hiromi looks from Naruto to the woman beside him before she recognizes the woman. **"Ah, long time no see, Kyuubi-sama. It's good to see you again,"** she greats.

Hiromi steps up and hugs Kyuubi. The two have known each other for quite a while and the first time Hiromi was summoned by Naruto she was ecstatic. Kyuubi is clothed this time wearing lose pants and several layers of clothing under her armor, not that she needs armor.

"What did you need to talk about?" Naruto asks.

Hiromi looks towards Naruto, suddenly nervously. She opens and closes her mouth several times, but nothing comes out. Naruto stands there patiently waiting. Seeing Hiromi so flustered, Kyuubi walks over and the two whisper so low that Naruto's enhanced hearing can't listen in.

Kyuubi's eyes go wide for a second before a wicked grin appears on her face. Kyuubi whispers something back before both women look at him. Naruto gets a sinking feeling in his stomach from the looks he is getting. It's like he is a piece of meat or a toy for them to play with.

'This will not end well,' he thinks. It actually does. But he doesn't find that out, nor does he care at this point.

Kyuubi walks up and takes his arm before pulling him up to Hiromi. They now stand a foot apart with Hiromi gaining a huge blush.

"**Hiromi-chan has something she wants to ask you."** She goes even redder at the suffix.

Naruto raises his eyebrow at the suffix, but has no other reaction. Hiromi on the other hand, has a blush on her face as she turns to Naruto. He finds it is kinda funny seeing a twelve story dragon in human form flustered and nervous about asking him something.

"**I…I…would…um…wouldyoubemymate?"** she finishes very quickly and turns around right after and starts pushing her two fingers together.

Naruto hears it, deciphers it, process it, then his brain overloads.

"Wai…what?" comes his intelligent question.

"**I…I have never had a mate and the boss summons is supposed to bond with the head of the Uzumaki clan. Traditionally when the boss summons and the head Uzumaki are different genders they are mates. This ensures a tight relationship between us."** She says all this without turning around, not trusting herself not to faint.

For once, Naruto doesn't know what to think. On one hand he barely knows her and she is a completely different species than him. On the other, she is incredible beautiful, smart, and strong. But the nagging thing that he doesn't know her makes him leery of outright accepting.

"Why don't we get to know each other a little better first before we make any…hasty decisions."

It is more of a statement than a question, but Hiromi looks more than happy to accept.

"**O…Ok. Um…where are you going? Maybe I can stay with you."**

Naruto points to the east. "We are headed to Kiri no Kuni. There is the Tomb of the Protector where I will unlock my water abilities and be able to control gravity. Very handy abilities to say the least. But there is a civil war going on there so we have to be careful. You can come if you want, but don't attack unless we are attacked first."

Hiromi nods.

"**Since I will be staying here for an extended amount of time, I need to make sure things will run smoothly at the den. I will rejoin you in a few hours."** Her nervousness and shyness are gone, replaced with her professional game face.

Getting a nod and a confermation from Naruto and Kyuubi, she disappears in a puff of smoke.

Immediately Naruto turns to Kyuubi.

"What do you have planned?"

Kyuubi gets a curious expression.

"**I don't know what you are talking about. I have nothing planned."** She acts innocently, but Naruto isn't buying it.

"If you're not planning something than I don't have the Rinnegan. Spill it. I don't want to be surprised in the middle of battle."

Kyuubi huffs and puffs out her chest indignantly. This also has the effect of pushing her already large…pillows. Naruto's eyes shoot down for a second before finding her face again. Kyuubi gins on the inside.

"**You will find out when I deem you ready, not before. It isn't something that will harm you, so just drop it."**

Naruto sighs. Kyuubi may want to sleep with him, but once she sets her mind on something, she is so stubborn that she will only diverge it if someone's life in danger. He knows that he isn't going to get it from her now so there is no point.

"Come on. Let's get moving. We still have several days before we reach the eastern coast."

**Time Skip-3 weeks**

Naruto, Hiromi, and Kyuubi step off the boat on Kiri no Kuni. They are in a small coastal town a few days of civilian travel speed from Kirigakure no Sato. As they leave the village, twelve mist ninja appear around them.

"Look what we have here. A little twig ninja. What would you be doing here in Kiri?" The leader, a tall man with a mask and sunglasses with his hatie-ate around his bicep.

"We have business with your Mizukage on behalf of Lady Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage. We would appreciate an escort as to avoid any mishaps and so we don't get lost."

The Kiri Jonin looks over Naruto then Kyuubi and Hiromi, assessing honest and threat level.

"Alright. We will take you to the Mizukage." He snaps his fingers. Instantly, four more Kiri nin appear. All four are wearing the same outfit, well mostly, and a blank Anbu mask.

"Take these three to Lord Mizukage. They are not to be harmed."

He stands to the side and allows Naruto and the two non-humans to pass.

"Right this way," the leader of the four says before jumping away, forcing the three to jump after them, revealing the two women of having ninja training.

As they travel Naruto gets a better look at the ninja. The leader is an older shinobi male with brown hair that has strips of grey and a goatee. The next ninja is a woman approximately 16. She has very short brown hair and semi-revealing attire, obviously trying to have an advantage to those who aren't used to dealing with women.

But it is the third member that really gets his attention. She is roughly twenty to twenty-five, ankle length auburn hair. She wears the standard Anbu clothing with a slight adjustment. Her assets are very large, making the normal armor un-wearable even with bindings so she has on some kind of separate armor that is a few sizes too big for her.

But her body isn't what got his attention. He feels a…he doesn't know what he feels from her. But he can _feel_ something coming from her that the others don't have. He doesn't know what it is or how he know it, but something about her is different. He makes a mental note to find out later.

His musings about this new feeling completely distract him from the last ninja, but unfortunately for said ninja, he doesn't really matter so he will remain nameless and be lost to history.

**Time Skip-2 hours: Kirigakure no Sato**

Naruto and company along with the escort walk towards the tower in the very middle of the city. Every direction they turn, they see poverty, filth, destroyed buildings, desperation, hunger. It looks like a horror film right in front of them. They all have to repress their gag reflexes since all of them have enhanced senses, the stench of death and human waste is almost overpowering.

Luckily they walk into the tower and the smell is replaced by a perfume of some sort that counteracts the vile stench that coats the village. They are led up five flights of stairs to the Mizukage office where they are immediately ushered in.

There they see Yugara juggling kunai behind his desk. He stops once the three are inside and the door closes.

"Ah, you must be the three from Konoha. I am Yugara, Yondaime Mizukage. How can I help you?"

Naruto pulls out a scroll and hands it to him. This scroll is different than the one Tsunade handed him. After talking with Hiromi, Naruto sent a dragon messenger back asking for a new scroll. The new scroll arrived shortly before they got on the boat for Kiri no Kuni.

"We are a delegation from Konohagakure sent to assess the potential of a Kiri-Konoha trade agreement and or alliance. My name is Uzumaki Naruto and they are Kyu and Hiromi. I am mainly a bodyguard and a Leaf Shinobi but I will assess your shinobi; while Kyu and Hiromi are trained to defend themselves, but are civilians and will assess the physical and economic strengths and weaknesses of Kiri. We have been granted a month and a half to survey everything then we will return home, hopefully with very good things to say, but it may not take that long.

"During our assessment, we will need access to the surrounding areas of Kirigakure to fully survey the potential of our trade. During all surveys, I will be present as bodyguard and will require a spar between your top three shinobi.

"I hope you will find this acceptable as we wish to make a complete picture of our potential ally."

Naruto finishes his speech and waits for the Mizukage's decision. Meanwhile in the Mizukage's head he can't believe this chance. If he can get Konoha involved, the rebels will stand no chance, but even if they don't accept the alliance, the trade will be a much welcome source of income.

"Alright Uzumaki-san. I'll allow it, but you will have an escort at all times. I must also warn you that we are in the middle of a civil war and your safety is not guaranteed, especially if the Rebels learn of you."

Naruto bows. "Thank you Mizukage-dono. Your warning is welcome, but I think we will be alright. We won't go far from Kirigakure, just a few miles out to conduct our surveys. When can we expect the spars?"

Yugara thinks for a second. There is no rush, but he wants to impress him quickly. It may have an effect on how they view the city.

"In two days the spars will commence. If you have no other questions, let me get you a guide who will show you to your living arrangements. Jonin #315, escort our guests to the VIP hotel."

Instantly, the same woman that Naruto got the strange feeling from appears in front of them.

"Please come this way," she says politely as she leads them away.

* * *

End Chapter 4

AN:

Sorry for the really long chapter. I originally ended it at around 6,000 words. But i added things here and there and next thing i knew, it was 9,500 words. Just so people know, there won't be a lemon for a while. Naruto won't be interested in women for a good chunk of it. Oh, and fight scenes coming up to, just to show off more of what Naruto can do.

thanks for being patient, update will come soon.

tomhunt98


	5. Chapter 5: Tomb of the Protector

Thanks for all the reviews. I'm really surprised at how well this story is doing. Over 280 favorites and almost 250 alerts and 20,000 views. Thank you all my readers!

I made some corrections over the last few chapters: 

One: Naruto wears some kind of mask where ever he goes. Whether is it his Owl Anbu mask, a blank Anbu mask, or a Kakashi-like mask with sunglasses.

Two: I fixed some grammatical errors that make the story flow better.

Three: I changed the 'Rinnengan' to its proper spelling.

Four: I updated what he would get in each tomb. I changed a few around and added one or two things. If would be good if you went back to Chapter 3 and re-read that section.

Five: My bad. Naruto will not get the ability to absorb Ninjutsu through the Rinnegan. Reason why will be explained later once Nagito has been met.

Six: My bad. In the first chapter is states that Kyuubi was sealed when Naruto was two months old. That is wrong. It is supposed to be Kyuubi was sealed when Naruto was a two month old fetus, way before Kushina gave birth. A viewer just brought that to my attention

Author Responses:

To anonymous reviewer with the name "nonono": why do I have to put a bashing warning? It's my story so I don't have to do anything. I would rather use that space to get the general idea of my story to potential readers and I don't consider bashing important enough to put a warning up. And you can't tell me that Sakura couldn't have needed that in the Manga. She was as stubborn and close minded as they come.

Also about the cliché writer….I don't give a fuck. Every idea ever thought of has been done about a thousand times! There is no scenario that I can write that is 100% original. Any author in the Naruto universe will tell you that. It is the same thing with music. Every note has been played and every rhythm and melody used, but what makes it unique is the specific combination used. So go fuck off and play with your dolls and stop looking for things to flame.

To daniel 29: thanks, it is fixed.

To anonymous reader "callilove": you have to realize that I haven't written a story with less than 5,000 words since my first story. I won't be able to get _all_ the mistakes. I do get most as I go over it several times before I even post a chapter (with the exception of ch.4).

But thanks for pointing it out and it has been fixed and I will try better to proofread in the future.

To Lednacek: sorry about the confusion. Let me clear up a few things.

1. Unless I specify, Naruto will always use hand signs. For jutsu where he must channel a good amount of chakra like creating fire, he must use hand signs, but if it is straight up manipulation of an element, he doesn't need it, but will use them to hide his true capabilities. Also, he does require hand signs for sub-element jutsu. The Tombs allow him to use sub-elements but doesn't give him the same amount of control over the base elements. When Naruto is one Hiromi, he is too high for Orochimaru to see that he didn't use hand signs.

2. Hiromi doesn't boom out Naruto's name. As is says "'Naruto-sama, am I to assume that these are the people that injured Hitomi?' a feminine voice says softly as to not make Naruto deaf." She didn't say it loud enough for others to hear her.

3. I find it a little humorous with the whole "holy log" deal and I considered putting it in here, but decided against it. Kawarimi isn't the ultimate defense, but Orochimaru has shown a tendency to use it a lot and switch with mud clones. He only does it twice and both times were to avoid being killed.

4. When you can, take a look at a map of the Naruto world. Kiri is across a huge sea. Sailing is slower than running and Konoha is closer to Suna than Kiri anyways which is why I included three weeks travel for one way. Naruto has a total of two months to find the Tomb and activate it.

Here is a map: (dot)com/wiki/Geography (Use the (dot) like a period since FanFiction sucks at putting links into stories)

5. Also, there will be no more huge time skips. The largest will be a month at most, but no bigger.

I hope that cleared up some issues. If not, then message me and let me know if you still have questions.

To KCWolfman: It's not that Naruto doesn't want revenge, it's the fact that he doesn't care. With Sasuke he is looking forward to paying him back for putting two holes in Naruto's chest. For Sakura, he doesn't want anything to do with her, making his revenge on her more psychological and in my opinion, far worse than anything he could do physically to her.

To : He didn't go after Orochimaru because that wasn't his mission. His responsibility is Team 7. He only attacks to keep Orochimaru and Kabuto from wiping out Team 7.

Now that those are answered, on with the story!

**Chapter 5: Tomb of the Protector**

**Kirigakure no Sato**

Naruto wakes with a start. Something or more someone is on top of him. He lifts his head and opens his eyes and sees flaming red hair lying on his chest, her bare back clearly in view for all to see. He shifts his view further down and sees her breasts smashed against his bare chest. He blinks as he doesn't remember falling asleep like this.

He creates a clone and Kawarimi's with it and instantly finds himself without boxers or pants.

He sighs. 'She keeps trying. I bet she was hoping to wake up before me and rape me or smother me with those…weapons of hers.'

He hops in the shower and makes it very quick as he doesn't want Kyūbi to get any ideas about joining him. He dresses quickly and as he leaves he dispels the clone and wakes Kyūbi as she falls onto the bed.

Naruto knocks on the door to the other room where Hiromi sleeps and makes sure she is up as well. He goes and starts breakfast and after a few minutes, Kyūbi comes out looking none too happy. She is in a skimpy bathrobe made out of yoki.

"**You know, there are better ways to wake a woman."**

Naruto deadpans. 'Yeah I bet.'

"Whatever. Why did you sleep in _my_ bed last night instead of with Hiromi?" he asks.

Kyūbi pouts. **"I already told you. I like your bed better. It doesn't matter where you sleep as it is automatically better than anywhere else."**

Naruto rolls his eyes and finishes making breakfast as Hiromi appears in the kitchen.

"**Good morning Naruto-kun, Kyūbi-chan," **she yawns out.

He looks at her to before turning away like it nothing. It then registers _what_ she is wearing and he snaps back to her.

She is wearing a nightgown that wouldn't be out of place in a strip club. It has two pieces. The top has long sleeves and comes just over her breast and clasps once with a button just below her breasts, showing a lot of cleavage, then flares out again showing her very toned and flat stomach. Her bottom part is a skirt that stops right about mid to high thigh. Did I mention the fact that the material of both pieces is nearly see-through? Well it is.

Naruto can practically see all her body, which is on par with Kyūbi's and he doesn't see any lines from underwear. So either she hides her underwear _really_ well or she isn't wearing any at all. He has to hold his nose to prevent the blood from making him shoot back. Hiromi just moves on past him, but Kyūbi notices the trickle of blood that gets past his fingers.

"**Mmmm…Hiromi-chan, I think Naruto-kun is having dirty thoughts about you."**

Hiromi looks around to Naruto as he turns around to hide his nosebleed. What he misses is the smirk she has on her face. The two women dig into the breakfast at the counter with tall stools while Naruto waits for his nose to stop bleeding so he can let his nose go and release the pent up blood, which he is eventually able to do without passing out.

Naruto turns around having regained control over himself and eats his breakfast as well, trying not to stare at Hiromi. Kyūbi sees this and has a smirk on her face.

'Ha, no man can stand up to two women. I just hope that this works.'

Hiromi finishes first and places her breasts on the counter, making them seem even larger while feigning ignorance.

"**So what are we going to do today?"** she asks, looking bored.

"Well," Naruto says with a mouthful. He swallows before continuing. "I think that we should start with the city itself. We spend at the least a week looking around the city. From there we go to just outside the city for two weeks and then to the surrounding villages for three weeks. The final week we meet here and have one more survey through. What do you think?"

"**Well, to be honest it may take more than a few weeks to get a complete picture of the surrounding towns. Plus there are also the rebels to think about. They might attack us for even thinking about allying with Kiri,"** Hiromi adds.

"**But we only have a total of two months to do a job that could take a half a year to do properly. So I think it is a good plan for now and if we need to make adjustments, we can."** Kyūbi adds her two cents in. **"Plus the final week we can move where we need to look at."**

They finish planning as a knock comes at the door. Naruto, being the most dressed out of the group answers it after he puts on a Kakashi-like mask, a pair of Aburame-like sunglasses, and a hoodie that covers his hair. What he finds is the auburn haired Jonin from yesterday at his door.

The Jōnin is slightly thrown off at the sight of Naruto. She was sure that he would take off the mask here. Now he is more of a mystery. She regains her wits about her. "Hello, I have been ordered to escort you around town. When will you be ready?"

Naruto steps to the side and ushers her in. the Jōnin raises an eyebrow at the current state of undress of the women and just how obscenely hot the two women are. She feels threatened by these women. What woman wouldn't be? They represent everything a woman wants: gorgeous skin, silky soft hair, long legs, amazing bust line that doesn't sag without underwear.

"So…what's your name?" Naruto asks, breaking the tension in the room.

"My Jōnin number is 315. You may address me as so," she replies.

Naruto shakes his head. "That's not what I asked. I asked for your name. What you are called when not on duty?"

The Kiri Jōnin blanches. Nobody has showed enough interest in her to wonder about her past her body much less _ask_ about her name.

"I…Its Terumi. Mei Terumi."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Terumi-san. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. These two ladies are Hiromi and Kyu. They have no clan name. Hiromi is the shorter one with the golden hair."

Mei bows slightly to the women. "It's good to meet you two."

"Well, it's nice to know that not all Kiri shinobi are snobs and have sticks up their asses," Kyūbi says. Her voice now lacks the usual power filled bass, making her voice sound strangely high to Naruto.

Mei for her part, scratches her head bashfully. "Well, we are in a civil war so you can't be too careful."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that they have to act how they look," Hiromi jabs. She too lacks her normal powerful voice to keep her cover as just a human.

Mei is about to retort to the jab when Naruto steps in, trying to keep the peace. "Ladies, calm down. We are their guests and as such it would do well to remember your manners," he admonishes them.

Kyūbi childishly sticks her tongue out at him. "Spoil sport."

Naruto turns to Mei. "Well, Terumi-san. We will walk around the village for a week or so and assess it. After that we will move on the areas just outside of the village then to some closest towns. Does that work?"

Mei thinks for a second. "Yes that should be fine. Just know that once we leave the area around the city that we will be vulnerable to Rebel attacks. I can't guarantee your safety."

Naruto waves her off. "Don't worry. We can all handle ourselves. So once we get dressed, we can go."

**Time Skip-2 Days**

Naruto stands quietly off to one side of the training grounds, not really thinking of anything, just waiting and observing, Kyu and Hiromi standing next to him. The last two days seemed to go by in a blur. Mainly walking around and avoiding questions from their babysitter. At one point Mei asked Kyūbi what was Naruto's problem since he neither asked nor answered any questions directed at him. Kyu, getting fed up with all the questions, just told her to ask him and not bother her or Hiromi.

Speaking of Kyu and Hiromi, they had been taking a lot of notes. But instead of a deep analysis on the economic stability of the region, they have defense positions, approximate numbers of shinobi, possible entrances. Even if they aren't allowed to participate in the war, they can help out the people fighting to end the reign of the person who caused the deplorable conditions they walk through day in and day out. They don't know if the rebels would improve Kiri, but anything would be better than how it currently is.

Naruto is awoken from his musings when four people walk into view. One is the Mizukage, one if their guide, and the other two he doesn't know. He is wearing his half mask and glasses to hide his features, making the Mizukage a little on edge since he can't read Naruto's face.

"Welcome, Naruto-san. We shall test my best Jonin against you. How shall the matches proceed?"

Naruto shrugs. "Send two at first then the next match will be against one. The matches will be all out until one side is completely incapacitated or too injured to continue the fight. No killing strikes and if you would Mizukage-sama be the referee."

Yugara raises an eyebrow at the setup, but it is how he wants it. "Jonin #385 and #215 will be the first match. Jonin #315 will be the second. But Jonin #18 will referee." Naruto nods his understanding.

The training area the Mizukage chose was actually the stadium they use for the Chuunin Exams, but with the civil war, the Exams haven't been to Kiri in over 5 years and isn't likely to return for another few years. The stands are packed with shinobi and non shinobi alike. Kyu and Hiromi find their way to the spectator box to watch, they talk with quiet excitement between them in anticipation of the match.

Jonin #'s 385 (Honso) and 215 (Myceen) appear in the middle of the arena. Honso is shorter than Naruto, wearing no distinctive clothing and armor and a big sword on his back (think Cloud big). Myceen is the same height as Naruto. The only thing distinctive he is wearing is a purple hakima (something akin to a male skirt). He too has a sword, but it is a Kodashi and strapped to his waist.

Jonin #18 hops into the arena and begins the match without asking if either party is ready. The two Jonin rush Naruto who gracefully twirls out of the way of both swords. He pulls out a pair of kunai and begins deflecting sword strikes. This goes on for five minutes and Naruto isn't even breathing hard. Using a blast of wind, channeled through the kunai, he send them back a few feet and draws his divine relic.

This time Naruto attacks. He appears in front of Honso and takes tries to impale him. But Hanso uses the flat edge of his sword to deflect and tries to stab Naruto himself. However, he wasn't planning on just how agile and strong Naruto is.

Naruto stabs his sword deep into the ground, locking them together. He then uses the locked swords as leverage and lifts the rest of his body off the ground, having a dual purpose of going over the impaling sword and drawing the man off balance. Naruto's feet hits the ground and instantly his knee is in his opponent's face, sending him back several feet from the sheer force of the blow.

Suddenly Naruto ducks and is saved from being decapitated. Naruto does a break dance-like move and sweeps the legs out of man. As the man hits the ground, he feels a strong wind near his neck and can barely make out the form of a sword made of wind inches from his wind pipe. He looks over to his partner to see if he can help him and sees Naruto standing over him with his metal sword in the same position, just over the throat.

Everyone in the crowd, minus Kyūbi is stunned. To hear of a wind natured chakra that can be controlled so far from the user through just manipulation is unheard of and Naruto is a good five feet from the man! The match didn't even last ten minutes!

"Winner, Konoha!" shouts the referee.

Naruto sheathes his sword and disperses the wind blade not even sweating. Suddenly Mei isn't feeling so confident. If two couldn't take him then how could she?

"Jonin #315, get out there," Yugara orders. Having no choice, she can only hope that Naruto goes easy on her.

As soon as the match starts, she forms hand seals.

"**Yōton****: Kazangan no Dama!**" (Lave Release: Lava Balls [Globs in cannon version])

Naruto's eyes narrow as the molten pockets of lava race towards him. He sidesteps each one and rushes forward, intent on not allowing her to use that sub-element…

That's it. That is what is different about her. Using a sub-element requires a bloodline. How she has managed to stay hidden for so long is beyond him. How he _feels_ it he has no idea, but he will worry about that later.

He reaches striking range, but finds Mei is very adept in Taijutsu. They trade blows on even ground and Mei decides to up the tempo.

She jumps back and forms more hand signs.

"**Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu!**" (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!)

A thick mist rolls out of Mei's mouth and coats the ground. Naruto feels his cloths start to dissolve at a slow rate. His mind goes into overdrive and forms hand signs of his own.

"**Fūton: Daitop**…"

Naruto only gets a part of the way through the hand seals as Mei knocks the wind out of him with a powerful kick. But even still, the technique goes off and dilutes the mist to negligible levels. Mei eyes Naruto as she pushes forward with her assault, hoping that with him not being able to draw breath that it will allow her to win.

Unfortunately, that is not what Naruto has planned. He creates several clones and they all engage Mei to get her off the original. While she is distracted, Naruto recovers and forms hand seals.

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!**" (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!)

A huge dragon bursts out of Naruto's mouth as Naruto holds the last symbol to make it appear that he is using chakra to control the dragon. He directs the dragon to the fighting Mei and his clones and makes the dragon kamikaze itself right on top of them.

The temperature in the stadium rises dramatically, forcing many to shield themselves from the intense heat. Naruto looks on impassively as the fire burns the ground and liquefies the top layer of ground.

"Thanks for giving me the materials I need," he hears.

"**Yōton****: Kazangan no Kanketsusen!**" (Lava Release: Geyser of Lava!)

The pool that had been created where the dragon had impacted suddenly shoots forward, straight for Naruto. Naruto then forms hands signs of his own

"**Onnetsusei: ****Sensui no Hosaki!**" (Thermal Release: Fountain of Flames!)

A river of white fire blazes to life right in the path of the incoming lava. It is a battle of heat vs. heat. Which sub-element is stronger?

Up in the Kage booth, Yugara narrows his eyes. 'So he is a bloodline user. I guess that is expected of those bloodline loving bastards in Konoha.'

Back in the fight, the two jutsu continue to battle. Mei had created a very deep pocket of lava and is just using chakra to direct the liquid substance while Naruto is constantly creating wind enhanced fire. Eventually though the pocket of lava can't compete with near infinite levels of half chakra-half yoki enhanced jutsu. The lava pocket runs out of lava and Mei drops the jutsu and leans over panting but has to dodge quickly, lest she become less than ash.

She appears on the far side of the arena, doubled over and breathing very difficultly. Naruto just strolls over to her and uses a wind blade to raise her head or she will be cut.

"Winner, Konoha!"

Naruto releases the jutsu and Mei drops her knees. That was the most intense battle she has ever been in. Sure she has sparred with higher level ninja than her, but never before has she been so outclassed. She could feel that Naruto was holding back. Plus there is the fact that he used a jutsu without completing the hand seals for it.

She is helped off the ground by Naruto who, in his half-mask and glasses, makes her blush in both embarrassment and because he is hot. In an instant Naruto is joined by his two companions.

"That was a great fight, Terumi-san. I must say that I am impressed," Hiromi comments.

Mei mutters a quiet thanks as Naruto drops her off at the medic station. Naruto leaves to speak with the Mizukage as a few medical jutsu are run over her. Her biggest health problem: Chakra exhaustion then physical fatigue, and a few deep bruises from their Taijutsu session. All-in-all, nothing that can't be fixed with a few days of rest.

**Kage Box**

Naruto arrives with his charges in two.

"Very good matches Uzumaki-san. I must say that I see why Konoha is regarded as the strongest hidden village."

Naruto takes a small bow. "Thank you Mizukage-sama. It was a pleasure to fight your shinobi."

Yugara's face cracks to a frown for a split second, but it is picked up on non-the-less.

"Is something bothering you Mizukage-sama?" Naruto asks.

Yugara lets his frown onto his face. "Well there is the matter of the jutsu you used. I was unaware that the Uzumaki had a bloodline that allowed them to use a sub-element."

Naruto catalogs this in his mind for later. "They don't. That ability is passed on through my father. I don't know who he was, but I am quite knowledgeable about the Uzumaki and their…our bloodline. I hope that this will not hinder our working relationship. It is hard to find someone who does not possess a bloodline in our village."

Yugara shakes his head.

"Good. Now as for the assessment, I believe that your shinobi, while competent, need to improve. Their teamwork is lacking, they need to expand their Ninjutsu as they only used their swords. I hope this is not the norm for your shinobi as it is a huge weakness. As for Jōnin #315, she has excellent Taijutsu form as well as a large and devastating arsenal of jutsu."

"I noticed," Yugara says under his breath. It may have been low, but for the three non-humans it is heard.

"I will give Tsunade-sama a full report and allow her to make the decision. I find that your forces are adequate but could be far more effective."

Yugara nods somberly. He was needing an outsiders opinion of how he could improve his forces but that requires an outsider to one: be willing to come to an active war zone. And two: be willing to give them an accurate assessment. On top of that it is embarrassing for a hidden village to need an outsider in the first place.

"I will give your suggestion and opinions some thought. Please feel free to wander around. Jōnin #315 will likely be out for a few days so I will have another escort you."

Naruto bows, showing respect. He also picks up on the dismissal.

He and the women turn around and go outside the stadium and see a person waiting for them.

**Time Skip – 2 weeks**

Naruto and the women are outside the city wall in the surrounding villages with Mei and an extra Jōnin as a guard/deterrent. This village is in no better shape than Kiri but at least is smells better, if only slightly. Right now it is dark and Naruto, Hiromi, and Kyūbi have retired for the night. Naruto is sitting in a chair by a fire and reading a scroll on human anatomy.

Hiromi and Kyūbi come out into the room. Kyūbi puts up a privacy barrier and a uses a Fūinjutsu seal to barricade the doors and windows, preventing anyone from entering. Hiromi gently grabs the book Naruto is reading and closes it and takes it from him.

He looks at her with questioning eyes and they only grow when both Hiromi and Kyūbi kneel right in front of him.

"Naruto…we…" Hiromi starts but can't continue.

"**We are going to break that shell…tonight,"** Kyūbi says using her normal voice.

Naruto just stares impassively at them.

"**We are tired of you treating everything so coldly and distant,"** Kyūbi says, her eyes are soft and pleading.

"**We know you feel something. We see lapses where you let emotions through so we know you aren't totally lost. Just trust us. Let us in,"** Hiromi says passionately.

Naruto continues to stare.

"**Look…we understand why you are so distant. Why you close your feelings off. We get it. We do. But you have to understand something. We are not going to leave you! You don't have to be afraid that we are going to rip out your heart and eat it like that bitch of a girl."**

"**We…well Kyūbi loves you. I can't say that for myself yet but I'm getting there. We have spent so much time together and I see your pain, I feel how hurt you have been. I know if hasn't been easy but we will never leave you. We will live as long as you will and we are willing to do anything and everything for you."**

Hiromi and Kyūbi both stand and strip. They take all their clothes off and spread their legs and toss back their hair over their shoulders, giving him an unrestricted view of their bodies.

"If it takes us giving ourselves to you…then we will do it. We will do whatever you ask. If you tell us to kill everyone in Konoha we will do it. If you ask us to…bear your children we will do it! What will it take to prove that we will not leave, betray, or hurt you in any way?" Hiromi is on the verge of tears, Kyūbi matching her look. Both are putting themselves in a very vulnerable position.

Naruto looks down to the ground. Truthfully, he does feel emotions. He likes both of them, possibly loves them. But there is always something clawing at the back of his head…something that makes him relive the pain of Sakura ripping his heart out every time he thinks of letting someone in. He can't experience that again.

He is honestly touched that someone would offer everything to him…just to make him trust them. They would offer sex and even children as something to prove that they won't go away or rip his heart out. Sex doesn't really mean a commitment. Take a look at Anko. But there is something higher than children or at least on the same level that doesn't require time to show.

Hiromi has tears spilling over. Naruto is just sitting there, ignoring them both. She just offered her everything to him and he is ignoring them. Hiromi puts her hands over her face and turns to run to her room.

"…"

Both women stop what they are thinking/doing. Naruto just said something.

"What was that? We didn't hear you," Kyūbi asks.

"…age."

Kyūbi and Hiromi scoot closer to him to hear better.

"I said marriage," he says as he looks up at them, all kinds of emotions running through his eyes. Too many too quickly to even gauge one of them.

Both are stunned and shocked into silence. That is what it will take?

"Not that I'm complaining but why marriage?" a confused Kyūbi asks.

"Because it is the one thing besides children that permanently ties you to someone. You can't annul or get out of a marriage. Even if a spouse dies you are still listed as married. It is designed to be that way. I know that for you guys mating is the same thing, but to humans sex is just something to be enjoyed. I know I'm not human but I still think like one.

"That is the only thing I can think of that doesn't involve a child."

The woman share a look before they tackle Naruto.

"Of course we'll marry you! We said we are willing to do anything and we meant it."

Naruto becomes aware that two very naked bodies of two very hot women against him. Maybe he can try just this once. Maybe they can help him forget. He wraps his arms around them and pulls them in closer. The climb into his lap and snuggle up against him. Both woman are overjoyed when he pulls them closer. They pull his even closer when they feel hot tears hit their flawless skin.

Naruto cries on their shoulders, letting go of all the pain and the suffering. He tells them everything from what was said, what he felt. All of it. Both women hold their comments and hold him tighter. By the end of it Naruto is asleep.

"Well that was a bit easier than expected," comments Kyūbi.

"I guess he was tired of fighting you and I didn't help matters for him much. I guess the more the harder it was for him to give into fear." Both are using their 'inside' voices as no not wake their new fiancé.

Kyūbi nods. "Well, let's get him to bed. He will get a neck cramp if he stays like this."

Hiromi gets off him and Kyūbi gently picks him up and takes him to his bedroom. Hiromi collects their clothes on the floor and tosses them into a corner while Kyūbi undresses him down to his boxers. They tuck him under the covers.

"Oh can we please?" Hiromi asks cutely.

Kyūbi thinks for a second before a mischievous smile crosses her face and she nods. Naruto is in for one hell of a wakeup call.

**Konohagakure no Sato**

Sakura walks home from a shift at the hospital. It had been a long double shift. Ever since she was trained by a doctor there she has been doing nurse work and she admits that while she likes medicine that she would much rather be doing the procedures rather than cleaning up after them.

Her education wasn't all that great. Nothing like if Tsunade had trained her. That would have been awesome.

But no…she had outdated text books and a doctor with a very shady record as her teacher. She always learned first aid and things that a nurse should do instead of how to fix the problem. It is frustrating her out of her mind!

She rounds the corner to her apartment complex and walks in front of the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Hey backstabber," Sakura hears. She already knows who it is and doesn't even turn to look at her.

"Hey Ino."

"Ripped apart any hearts today?"

Sakura, no to how tired she is, rounds on Ino.

"That was more than three years ago! Can't you let it go?"

Ino stares at Sakura. "I will let it go when Naruto does. We _all_ have agreed on that. This is _your _punishment that Naruto won't give you. Do you even want to apologize? Do you feel any remorse for destroying one of the nicest people in the village?"

Sakura doesn't back down. "It's not like you treated him any better than I did. You hit him and yelled at him too!"

Ino slaps Sakura across the face. "Do NOT compare you to me to make yourself feel better! I may not have been the nicest person to him but I never belittled him, I never tried to get away from him, and I never had the impact that you did! I may have been head-over-heels for Sasuke but I wasn't mean to others because of it."

Ino continues her "hate on Sakura" rant, drawing attention from the other Rookie Eleven. Lee never actively participates in goading Sakura but he doesn't talk to her. Tenten, Shikamaru, Neji, Chouji, Kiba, and Hinata take every opportunity to make her feel guilty. Shino still talks to her just because he doesn't want her committing suicide but he still whole-heartedly agrees that what she did was wrong.

Sakura turns away from her ex-friends and walks to her apartment. On her door is written, "Uchiha slut" and "backstabber" with some kind of fire jutsu. She opens the door and collapses on her couch. On the floor just inside the door is her daily fan-mail. It turns out a lot of people actually enjoyed what she did and thank her on a daily basis for making the "demon" disappear.

She falls asleep on the couch, wondering when Naruto will come back so she can finally get some of her friends back.

**Next Morning**

Naruto slowly wakes up feeling better than he has in a very long time. Like a giant weight has been lifted off his mind and chest (cliché I know). He tries to sit up but is weighed down. He opens his eyes and what he sees makes his eyes bulge.

Hiromi and Kyu are both stark naked and using him as a pillow, their massive assets pushed into his bare chest. The covers are pulled back to show their naked torsos. He feels all their legs tangled together so much that he has to lift up the covers to make sure he is still wearing _something_. Turns out he isn't.

He falls back on the bed, unable to get up and his mind drifts to the events of last night. He is engaged. They have sworn to never leave him. He doesn't have to worry. His heart feels much lighter after last night.

Unable to contain himself, he puts his arms around both his ladies and squeezes. Both mumble in their sleep and cuddle closer into him. He just hugs both of them to him, not minding the slightest bit that he feels all four nipples harden and graze across his chest.

Eventually though he hears a knock at the door.

"Hey Kyu-chan Hiromi-chan I need to get up. There is someone at the door."

"Five more minutes Naru-kun," Hiromi says cutely.

Kyūbi says something along the same lines but more aggressive, "Stay still so I can pounce you."

Naruto sighs and tickles both of them until they wake up. They sit up using their hands, still half asleep. Their breasts hanging for all to see.

"Good morning, Naru-kun," Hiromi says before yawning. After she does, her mind kicks in and realizes that she and Kyūbi are naked in Naruto's bed whom is equally as naked.

Another knock at the door, this time more urgent.

"Damn whoever it is. I'll burn them alive," Kyūbi threatens as she gets up and summons some clothes. She exits the bedroom and answers the door to their hotel room. Outside is a fully dressed Mei.

"Oh, good morning Kyu-san. I'm just here to inform you guys of a change of plans for today."

Kyūbi nods and lets Mei in. Just then Hiromi steps out of Naruto's room wearing only a bra and matching panties.

"I'll be in the shower Kyu," is all she says before entering the bathroom.

Mei looks from the bathroom door and back to Kyūbi and notices exactly what she is wearing. A silk robe that is loosely tied in the front and nothing on underneath.

"Are you guys really that comfortable walking around like that with a guy in the same hotel room as you?" she asks.

Kyūbi gives her a small glare. "Of course we are. We have known him for more than three years and we know he won't do anything if we don't want him to. And trust me when I say that he is always welcome to look at us."

Mei blushes at her comments.

"So what is this change of plans?" Kyūbi asks.

"Well, the other Jōnin was called back to Kiri so I am the only one here for security. I know you guys were wanting to go to the next town today but it would be too dangerous."

Kyūbi nods her understanding. Suddenly the door that Hiromi just came out of opens and a fully dressed Naruto, complete with half mask and glasses, steps out.

"It's here. Come on."

Kyūbi immediately steps into another room and after a minutes comes out completely dressed and carrying the bags. She pokes her head into the bathroom and says a few words that Mei can't make out before closing the door and stepping into the main living room.

"What's here? What are you talking about?" Mei asks.

"It's too long to explain right now," is all Naruto says. It isn't his normal toneless voice, but full of excitement and anticipation.

As Mei stares down Naruto, Hiromi exits the bathroom, her hair very wet and wearing short sleeves and shorts. The three of them walk out the door and Mei is left with nothing to do but trail them. Naruto leads them out of the village and walks in a single direction at a fast pace. Naruto keeps on walking, neither Hiromi nor Kyūbi complain or ask where it is that they are going.

"Where are we going? This isn't safe and you're not authorized to leave the area," Mei half threatens.

"Well then do something Terumi-san," Naruto says without turning around. Mei wants to, but the KI coming off of Hiromi and Kyu suggest that if she tires something that it will not end well for her.

Eventually Naruto stops in front of fairly large rock. He touches is briefly before speaking.

"This is the oldest rock on the island. Over the years it has been whittled away for building material, by storms, and by wind. It was once a mountain but this is all that remains."

He cuts his hand and puts it on the stone. The rock seems to vibrate for a second before it sinks into the ground, revealing a stairway behind it.

Naruto leads the way down the tunnel before speaking.

"**Seijin: Tengoku no Kari!**" (Sage Style: Heaven's Light!)

A ball of fire makes its way into existence and hovers over Naruto, giving off a tremendous amount of light. Hiromi and Kyūbi follow him without a moment's hesitation. Mei on the other hand looks torn. She should report this breach of security and whatever this hole in the ground is but another part of her wants to follow and find out exactly what is down there.

Her curiosity wins and she delves down into the dark passageway figuring that it is better to be able to report what is down there instead of saying she doesn't know.

She quickly catches up to Naruto and the others and they walk for a good about of time. Suddenly the walls fall away and they are left standing inside a giant cavern not unlike the one in Hi no Kuni. Naruto raises the orb of fire and makes it brighter but he soon wishes he hadn't.

The light seems to have awoken something. Naruto can hear it moving around in the darkness. He pulls out his sword and cuts his finger and wipes the blood on the sword. Mei looks away as the sword produces an enormous amount of light, illuminating much of the cavern. But it is so bright that nobody can see anything so Naruto tapers off the light and sends three more orbs of fire into the cavern and expand their size and brightness. That illuminates the cavern entirely at levels in which they can see.

Mei wants to scream. In front of her is a massive and grotesque creature. It has three arms that are monstrous in size, two heads, four feet, and a hide that looks very tough.

"**Who dares enter my cavern?"** the creature beckons with the left head.

"I do! Uzumaki Naruto, Heir to the Sage of Six Paths! Let me pass and take what is rightfully mine!" Mei looks at him with wide eyes.

The creature laughs.

"**Heir to the Sage? I guess I should bow or something…or I could eat you and gain some of that power myself."** It seems that the left head is where are the brains are because the right one just drools and has a stupid expression on its face.

"Be careful. This is an A-Class demon, one of the oldest made from the Jūbi's own flesh," Kyūbi informs them.

The demon looks at the red haired woman and begins to laugh.

"**This is too much! Too see the mighty Kyūbi no Yoko reduced to a mere human in stature! HAHAHA! Oh if Jūbi-sama could only see this!"**

Once again, Mei's eyes go wide. She is a Bijuu? Just who is this woman she has been around for three weeks? Mei suddenly realizes that she knows very little about these people.

Several tick marks appear on Kyūbi's head. **"I'll show you reduced. You should remember why I am the greatest of demons!"**

Mei backs up as red yoki surrounds Kyūbi. She grows fur and ears and nine tails and grows in size. Soon Kyūbi is at full mast, being half as tall as the cavern. She lets loose a mighty roar that shakes the cavern, her tails swaying dangerously behind her.

The demon doesn't seem so confident now. To think that the ruler of demons is running around with a human, the heir of the person who created her no less. He assumed that since she lowered herself so much that she had lost her power or at least enough to be defeated. His assumption seems to be incorrect.

The demon starts chanting some weird and archaic language but only seconds after he starts, nine tails wrap around him, forcing him to stop.

"**Now now. I can't have you running away now can I? Tell me, what is your name niningan?"** she growls menacingly.

"**Its Relgios** (Rel-gee-oh-ss)**,"** he chokes out.

"**Well Relgios, I suggest that you don't judge a book by its cover!"** and at that Kyūbi literally rips apart the demon.

Gore and body chucks go everywhere. Once all the pieces of the demon are motionless on the floor, voids that no words can do justice in how black they are appear under each section and arms appear and drag each piece into the voids. In seconds the only evidence of what happened is the blood and the stench.

Meanwhile Kyūbi returns to her human form but still has her tails and ears. She walks over and gives Naruto a hug for some reason.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asks her.

Kyūbi nods. "I'm just a bit shaken. Those portals only appear when the ruler of the demon world summons someone. Our friend is now being put back together and then spewing what he knows to the ruler after me. Add to the fact that I am not only at near full strength but out of the seal means that demons will be coming for us."

"And why is that?" Hiromi asks.

"Because they fear me and when they learn Naruto's heritage and abilities they will fear him too. Demons don't like it when other beings are more powerful than them. Don't forget that he is the descendent of the most powerful human ever to exist. They will head us off at the other Tombs so we must be on our guard."

Naruto nods and takes her hand and leads her towards the tablet. The usual inscription is on the tablet and Naruto is about to set his hands on it. Kyūbi and Hiromi are standing behind him, ready for what is next.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

They turn to see a very confused Mei. She is in a fighting stance and looks like her fight or flight is deciding which one it wants.

"Hiromi-chan would you mind explaining the circumstances to Terumi-san please. I need to get this over with."

Hiromi nods and moves to talk to Mei. Naruto takes in a deep breath and places his palms against the cold rock. Instantly he feels his mind being probed. He doesn't resist but it isn't exactly a pleasant feeling.

Then he feels the skin of his hands get either evaporated or eaten by the rock and his blood seeps into the stone. He stays like that for a good while, Kyūbi behind him ready to help him when the time comes.

Hiromi approaches Mei who backs away.

"Come sit," Hiromi orders.

Mei's only response is to back away at a faster pace.

"**I said sit!"** Hiromi roars, using her full voice, commanding Mei to obey. Hiromi's eyes turn to golden slits and her skin grows a light covering of scales for an instant. Very hesitantly Mei sits where Hiromi directed, feeling that if she didn't that her life wound be in danger if she disobeyed.

"Who and what the fuck are you people?" Mei asks, well demands.

"Well, long story short I'm a dragon, Naruto's summons. Kyu is the Kyūbi no Yoko that attacked Konoha seventeen years ago. And Naruto was Kyu's host until a few years ago when he found a safe way to release her.

"Naruto is of the Uzumaki clan. Turns out they hold the legendary Rinnegan in their blood and are direct descendants of the Rikudou Sennin. He split his power between his sons and left these Tombs behind to reactivate the full bloodline in times of need. This is the third of six Tombs that we have been to."

Mei is silent in thought.

"So you're not actually a human?"

Hiromi nods but puzzled as to why out of all the things she said, Mei would pick _that_ to question.

Mei seems to relax visibly.

"And why would my species be of any consequence to you?" Hiromi asks guardedly.

"Well because that means that Naruto is still free. I mean dragons and demons only have relationships with their own species. I was afraid that he was already taken and there is no why I can compete with your bodies."

Hiromi doesn't know whether to be insulted, angry, or thank her for the complement. So she goes will all three.

"First of all, I don't where you got your sources but both Kyu and I are engaged to Naruto! Second, I'm offended that you would insinuate that our species are that shallow. Sure for the most part we mate with our own species but the same thing can be said for humans. You tend to mate with people of same skin color, background, and physical appearance. So don't you judge and make assumptions about us when you have nothing to back up those claims!"

Before either can continue Naruto gives a grunt of pain. Mei turns to look at him but Hiromi is already at his side. Kyu nods to Hiromi and not ten seconds later Naruto is almost violently launched from the rock. Both catch him and set him down, his head in Hiromi's lap.

They wait for several minutes before Naruto's eyes flutter open and their heart jump as they see a smile on his face.

"That has to be the best way to wake up, looking up at two angels."

Both girls blush wildly, making Naruto chuckle. Tears of happiness that he is finally allowing himself to feel and act on those feeling again. He finds himself glomped by the two gorgeous women. Mei look on, jealousy evident in her eyes.

"Terumi-san, some water please."

Mei starts at being addressed. It then turns to confusion at what he wants. She brings such confusion to light.

"I need water from a jutsu. It doesn't matter which one," he says, still hugging and getting hugged from both sides.

Mei doesn't know why she suddenly wants to grant his request but she does. She turns to the side to fire the jutsu at a wall when Naruto stops her.

"No, towards us. Don't worry about it."

Mei's eyebrow quirks but gives in. She forms several hand signs and takes a deep breath.

"**Suiton: Suijinheki!**" (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall!)

A torrent of water bursts from Mei's mouth but instead of going up like the jutsu normally does, it all rushes forward in a straight, pressurized stream. Naruto holds up a hand and the water stops. It just stops in mid air.

Naruto makes another gesture and the water rises into the air, even higher. Suddenly he releases control from the middle outward, creating a ripple effect of rain.

"**So?"** Kyūbi asks not bothering to hide her true voice.

"It worked. I have control over water and gravity too. I can change the direction of gravity and how severe the pull is. Plus I have some…interesting new jutsu."

Naruto gets up from the girls and walks to the stone and begins to read.

_During the time of the Jūbi's reign of terror, it created all manner of creatures that we know today as demons. It was after making Lucifer that the Sage sealed the Jūbi. Lucifer is said to have an third of the Jūbi's power, taken directly from the Jūbi's reserves. This left the Jūbi weaker than usual while it was still weak the Sage battled it and sealed it. Since the Bijuu were created from the Jūbi's yoki, they are classified as demons._

_Bijuu are "offspring" of the __Jūbi__. Right before the Sage died, he divided up the power between nine entities. These beings are made of masses of sentient chakra called yoki that can morph into any shape they desire. While they can change shape, the Sage modeled their personalities after certain animals, the most well-known being Kyūbi no Yoko and the Nibi no__ Bakeneko. The Ichibi and the Gobi are unknown as to why they act the way they do or as to what personality they were molded after._

_The ranking system coincides with the number of tails the Bijuu has, which is an indication of how much chakra a Bijuu has. A single tail is worth two Kage level reserves, so the Kyūbi has eighteen times the amount of chakra a Kage has. But Bijuu don't have chakra, they have Yoki, which is very conductive or supercharged chakra. It is twice as powerful as human chakra and is used at a smaller rate since it takes less to perform a technique. _

_If a Bijuu is sealed inside a living object one of two things will happen. One- if the object is young enough to not have fully developed charka coils, then the Bijuu's yoki will leak into the forming coils, making the chakra very powerful. How much is leaked is dependent on how far along the coils were when the Bijuu was sealed. Two- If the coils have already formed, then the yoki will slowly kill the individual since the body won't absorb it and adapt to it like the younger Jinchuuriki. In order to not die, the Jinchuuriki must become a hanyou, or half demon. _

_A Bijuu may use its yoki to have a "real" body. The yoki solidifies and becomes flesh until the yoki is called to become something else. The Bijuu may engage in the act of procreation if they wish, but none have ever done so and the results are unknown or if an offspring is even possible. As the personality is based off of an animal, the personality will lean towards either male or female. They can choose to be either, but will always prefer the gender of the animal they were modeled after. _

Naruto stops reading and lets the information sink in.

"**Well, that was informative. Nothing I didn't already know."**

"**You may not have, but certainly was an educational experience for the rest of us,"** Hiromi adds.

Naruto sighs and walks away from the rock, straight towards Mei.

"This is what we came to find. We will be leaving next week for Konoha. Please keep this a secret as it can start a war between our villages."

Mei is torn between duty and her…desire to obey Naruto. Naruto sees her having trouble and decides to make it easier on her.

"He knows you have a bloodline."

Mei's eyes go wide.

"I do not know why he has not done anything about it yet but I feel that it is close to when he will do something. If you don't want to die, I suggest you find an exit from the Mizukage's services."

Mei's lip is trembling. She knows why Yugara hasn't done anything yet. It is because he used her. Her used her power, her bloodline status to hunt down the bloodline clans, thinking they would be safe with her only to stab them in the back. And all that service…all the effort to stay here is all for nothing. Just for something she has no control over.

Every face of every person she has ever killed flashes before her. Their betrayed faces, their looks of surprise. One even smiled at her before the life left his eyes.

Tears threaten to spill from her eyes. "Wh…What should I do?" she chokes out. She is having trouble keeping the tears back.

"**You fight. You take the initiative and you fight for what you believe in!" **Kyūbi eggs her on.

"I don't suggest you do anything rash but I do think you need to plan quickly. We can help you…if you are willing to keep this a secret," Naruto offers.

Mei weighs her options…not that there were many. She looks to Naruto. She loses a battle to keep a blush down as a thought comes to her.

"Could…could I came with you to Konoha?" she asks shyly.

Hiromi and Kyūbi are instantly on guard. While they knew Mei had at least some interest in Naruto, never before has she ever acted or voiced it outside of a half hour ago. They are prepared to spring into action to keep Naruto safe if he should fall for someone not so dedicated as they are.

Fortunately they are spared as Naruto shakes his head.

"That is not an option. It would look like you defected and worked as a spy for Konoha and that might start a war. You could always join up with the Rebels. With your knowledge of the shinobi the Mizukage has, locations of high value targets, and weaknesses in and around Kiri."

Mei looks at the ground. "That isn't an option. They know I work for the Mizukage and would never be accepted into their ranks. I would hold too much of a threat of being a spy."

"**Then why don't you go to them and give them all you know and then ask for the lowest ranking member in their forces. Show them that you are sincere and never ask for a promotion or advancement. Be humble and honest. They might never accept you fully but as long as you are fighting for what you believe in it won't matter,"** Hiromi offers.

Mei thinks hard about it. It would be better than serving a deranged madman hell-bent on genocide. It would be very tough being jutsu fodder though. No need to lie about what her occupation would be. That is really all low level ninja are for, tiring out or slowing down enemy forces and she would be front and center for that.

But there would be a chance for advancement, even if she doesn't ask for it. If things don't work out then she can always leave Mizu no Kuni and head for someplace looking for a highly skilled ninja with a bloodline.

"I'll go to the Rebels but I don't know how to contact them. On top of that I have to escape when security is low."

Kyūbi smirks. **"I've been thinking about that…"**

**Time Skip – Five Days**

It is two days before Naruto and his 'survey' group finish with their assessment. Right now they are being escorted by Mei and another Jōnin to the next and last town on their stop. Naruto and the girls had explained the entire situation, minus Naruto's father, to Mei. She had been curious about how he knew where exactly the tomb was. Naruto shrugged and told her that he is drawn to it and he can't explain it further.

Hiromi stumbles over a branch that was hidden in the tall brush.

Mei sees this. It is the agreed upon signal. Mei trudges up from the back of the group and pulls aside the Jōnin leading them. Suddenly a kunai finds its way into the man's heart. He drops dead in the grass.

"Alright, now to make a convincing battleground. Hiromi, Kyu. You both know what to do."

Both woman nod and they take action. While Kyūbi begins tearing specific parts of her clothes into strips, Hiromi sharpens her nails and tears both her and Kyūbi's clothes. Once Kyūbi is done, she retrieves the corpse of the Jōnin and smears blood on the places where Hiromi cut their clothes. Afterwards they tie the strips into makeshift bandages and makes those bloody as well like it absorbed blood from a wound.

Once they have convincing wounds and bandages, they ruffle their clothes and rub dirt and mud into their skin and hair. Once done they hand over their notes to Mei but keep the copies of the actual economic conditions of the villages the visited. Like the Mizukage would just allow them to walk out of Kiri with detailed notes of defenses and important buildings.

Meanwhile Naruto channels his chakra and goes through a long series of hand signs.

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!**" (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!)

Once more Naruto's flaming dragon appears and burns the surrounding foliage before colliding with the ground. Naruto lets the inferno rage on before he channels more chakra.

"**Onnetsusei: Kami no Haigara!**" (Thermal Release: Ashes of God!)

The white flames spread from Naruto's mouth gently and slowly spread into the surrounding area. Whatever the flames touch, it is disintegrated. After vaporizing enough of the place to make a convincing story, Naruto turns to see the how Hiromi and Mei are progressing.

Mei is shooting technique after technique into the surrounding areas. Most of them are water techniques but she adds in a few Yōton and Futton jutsu. She makes sure to use Kōmu no Jutsu as that would be very evident to the surrounding areas. Before she did that though, she had spread dozens of Kunai around the place, some with smeared blood on them.

Satisfied, she turns to regroup and a pang of jealousy hits her. Naruto is helping tie a 'bandage' over Hiromi's stomach and judging from the satisfied look on Kyūbi's face, he just helped her tie the one around her bust with the not right in the middle of her breasts.

"So…that does it. Now we just need to send the letter to the Mizukage," Naruto says more to himself than the others. This had been planned to the last detail with three contingency plans as backup. One had been if the Jōnin hadn't been killed and made an escape. Another one is if they had been followed by Anbu. And the last one…had been if Mei really had been loyal to the Mizukage and this was just a charade. Mei didn't know about the last one.

Mei rejoins the group, Mei still acting shyly.

"I guess this is goodbye. Maybe once this war is done I will come to Konoha."

Naruto gives her a nod. "Maybe. Take care Terumi-san." He holds out his hand, which Mei takes and gives it a firm grip and shake before she turns and jumps into the trees.

Kyūbi watches Naruto's face.

"**You like her don't you?"**

Naruto turns to her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Perhaps as a friend but I won't allow myself to feel something for someone past a friend without…assurances." Hiromi and Kyūbi hug Naruto from both sides to which he pulls them closer.

As much as Naruto wants to stay like that they must move on.

"Come on. Those jutsu are sure to attract others."

**Time Skip – Next Day**

"Care to explain what happened?" a very ticked Yugara asks. As soon as he received the letter, he sent no less than four high level Jōnin ninjas. They brought the Konoha team directly to his office.

"It is just as the letter explains. We were traveling between villages when Jōnin #315 walked up to the other Jōnin and stabbed him through the heart with kunai. Then a group of Rebels attacked us. Hiromi-san and Kyu-san were hit several times with the barrage of kunai they threw. I then retaliated and vaporized the Rebels who were dumb enough to stand in a group. Jōnin #315 then tried to engage me but I forced her to retreat. I could not pursue as my charges were injured.

Once we arrived at the town, I administered first aid. Luckily most of the wounds are superficial and not very deep."

Yugara growls lowly. This smells of a setup but beyond the gut feeling, he has nothing to go on. He had sent people to examine the battle sight and it indeed looked as though a small war was fought. On top of that, Kyu and Hiromi, from his shinobi's account, had been dirtied and injured. While it would be possible to fabricate, it would be difficult.

Add Yugara's paranoia to the fact that he has received no Intel that a squad of Rebels was in the area.

But everything he has is circumstantial, nothing that would justify holding the official representatives of a Kage.

"Very well. Please hand over your notes for inspection as you leave. We will have a boat prepared to leave tomorrow at 8am."

Naruto, Hiromi, and Kyūbi bow low. "Thank you Mizukage-sama. Once Kyu and I present our findings and recommendations to Hokage-sama, we will send you a copy so you may improve upon your economy," Hiromi says.

Let it be known that Hiromi is actually very good at economics, as she runs her village. Being good with money and knowing how to either improve or stabilize is a necessity. More importantly, she knows how to make convincing notes that have nothing to do with Kiri's economy.

"Very well. Dismissed."

**Time Skip – three weeks later**

The boat pulls up the harbor just outside of Waves. All three get off the boat and stretch. It has been a long time since they were on solid ground. Hiromi smirks.

"How about we skip the walking and get right to Konoha?"

Naruto looks at her with a confused look. "And how are we going to do that?"

Hiromi looks at him in disbelief. "Um…did you forget that I'm a _dragon_? I can fly. I could probably carry Kyūbi in her fox form."

Naruto smacks himself on the head. "Sorry but with you being in human form so long that I forgot that you aren't a human."

Hiromi puts her arms around his neck and pulls him close. "That's ok. I'm just glad I got to spend time with you."

Before she can continue, Kyūbi bounds into his back. "No tender moments without me!" she exclaims.

'Dear kami…what have I gotten myself into?'

* * *

End Chapter 5

AN: Sorry for the extremely long update. I have been having trouble writing anything. I'm even having trouble proofing other's works and even reading. But I promise to try harder.

xx

Poll: What should the third stage of Naruto's divine sword be?

Choices:

-Kushina comes back as a physical being to aid Naruto

-The sword is directly linked to Naruto. The sword can speak directly into Naruto's mind, speed up his reflexes, give him knowledge of moves the past users have done, and project images into Naruto's mind almost like a second brain that is feeding him a vast amount of information and knowledge

-Being a divine relic, it can resurrect someone for a short amount of time to aid in battle. It can only bring one person back at a time and the person is allows thirty minutes. Each person can only be summoned once a week

-Naruto stabs himself in the chest while it's inform two, causing the sword to merge with him. An aura of light, angel wings, and the ability to weild Holy form would only give him the basics of Holy Jutsu. He would have to create any techniques himself. (Suggested by a viewer)

I am open to suggestions if someone has an idea but as of this moment I can't decide on which one to choose. You can only vote by the poll on my profile. **Choices** by **review** will be **IGNORED**! A suggestion can be submitted by either review or PM.

Thanks for your time,

tomhunt98


	6. Chapter 6: Aid of the Jinchūriki

AN:

I must say that I'm blown away buy the responses I got. This story almost doubled most of its' stats after the previous chapter. It is now up to 43,936 views, 446 favs, and 402 alerts. A big thanks to all my readers!

Author Answers:

to Sir Chris: I understand where you are coming from and I don't like the idea that I'm limited either but it is true. To back that up, let me hit you with a few statistics-

-There are currently 274,048 stories with the Naruto tag.

-Of those, there are 2,539 stories with more than 100,000 words. The most I have seen is just over one million words.

-Now, I don't know about you, but I don't publish every idea that I have. I have 37 current ideas for my stories and have only used 4 from that list. Granted I started it when I published my third story but my point is the same: compared to how many ideas get published on this site, there are still far more that may never get published or even written down but that doesn't mean that it is not original.

-To be fair, I will have a 2:1 ratio of ideas to published material (which I think is severely underrated). That would mean that there are 548,096 ideas out there. And that is on this site alone. Now if you think that you have an idea that hasn't been thought of in that number? Good luck. There are millions of people who read Naruto and fanfiction. I can almost guarantee you that any ideas you have been thought before.

*To be fair though, with new content coming out ever week, people will get original ideas from that. That and combining Naruto with other manga and anime is also a way to and character combinations that have never been done before like Naruto and Gamabunta...gross. Things like that.

to MrNeedsToRemoveAllFavs: I didn't think of that. I would think that Jashin would be another name for Shinigami as he originally is the god of death though. Kudos for thinking that one up.

to Some-Good-Names-Were-Taken: no, I didn't use the Assassin's Creed for that. I haven't even played the game

to Haruchai: I have explained this. She spoke lowly to keep from making Naruto deaf. If you can hear someone practically whisper something from over a hundred feet in the air, then you have better hearing than most. (i.e. a commercial story is ten feet while civilian story is eight)

**Chapter 6: Aid of the Jinchūriki**

Kyūbi and Hiromi argue back and forth about who gets to carry Naruto back to Konoha.

"**And what is wrong with my fox form? I can move extremely fast while I'm ten stories tall."**

Hiromi rolls her eyes. **"Yeah and scare all of Hi no Kuni when you do. Did you forget that I am Naruto-kun's summons? I'm made to move back and forth."**

Before Kyūbi can retort Naruto appears right in front of them.

"Girls, that's enough. Why don't we do it my way?"

Suddenly all three of them levitate off the ground for a second. The girls look to Naruto, confused. Then they shoot straight into the air like a speeding bullet. Both girls scream as they whirl around as they climb into the air. Hiromi is about to change into her dragon form when Naruto's voice stops her.

"Please tell me that you remembered what the tomb said."

When he gets blank looks, he sighs and their ascent stops but they don't fall.

"I have complete control of gravity now which means that I can nullify or choose a direction that gravity is now pulling things towards. Like towards Konoha."

They begin to move towards the direction of Konoha, still suspended in mid-air. They look at Naruto with complete fascination before glomping him, afraid to fall to the ground. They pick up more and more speed, making them hold on even tighter.

"How are we moving this fast?" Kyūbi asks over the howling wind.

"Technically we are in 'free fall' right now. It is like jumping off a cliff but instead of moving towards the ground, we are 'falling' in a direction that I deem."

After a few minutes of silence when Naruto gets an idea.

"Hey girls…wanna go faster?"

Before either can answer, their speed picks up drastically. Both girls grip Naruto in a death grip, making him chuckle.

"I'm moving the air out of the way. We had reached terminal velocity before which means that because of air resistance, we couldn't go any faster. Now without that resistance, we don't have a limit and not the near deafening wind. Right now I'm keeping enough air to let us breathe and so we don't get flattened by the shear speed."

Kyūbi looks confused but Hiromi got it. They stay in together in silence for a while before Hiromi spots something in the distance, far below them. Hiromi only spotted it due to her eyes that are made for spotting far away things.

"Naru-kun. What is that?"

Naruto and Kyūbi follow her finger and have to squint, but they see black smoke rising from the earth.

"Looks like a fire. Come on. Someone may need help."

Naruto didn't notice the loving looks he got from both women. A month ago, he wouldn't have bothered and continued on without as much as a second glance.

Slowly, but surely he is returning back to his old self.

Naruto adjusts the gravity to pull them towards the smoke. Naruto dips under it and takes away the air resistance and they all zoom towards the source of the fire.

**Town of Yumo**

Yugito is tired. Like dead tired. She has been on the run from a couple of freaks that won't die, no matter how much damage she inflicted they just won't die. For five days, she has been running, trying to get away from these bastards. No sleep, to stopping. They are always on her tail.

She had gone into this town in hopes that they would lose her. Then she would be able to rest for a little before trying to make it back to Kumo.

That was her plan before they started torching the entire town trying to literally smoke her out. Now hundreds of people are either dead or homeless.

But she can't let herself get bogged down by guilt right now. First she needs to survive.

"_**Kitten, send out my chakra. I sense another Bijū nearby. Maybe they can help."**_

'But wouldn't that tell them right where I am? You know, the exact opposite of hiding and recovering my strength?'

"_**But I sense Kyu's yoki. If we can get her help, these guys will stand no chance."**_

Yugito picks up on Nibi's unsure voice.

'What? Are you not sure we can?'

She feels Nibi shake her head.

"_**Kyūbi is very head strong and only helps if there is something in it for her. And right now, we have nothing of value to offer her."**_

Yugito's hopes just crashed into the ground.

'But…maybe she will because our lives are in danger.'

Nibi sighs in exasperation. She maybe a great container but she rather dim.

"_**Kyūbi doesn't really care about humans and we Bijū can't really die so…the likely hood of her helping is very low to non-existent just because you are going to die if you don't reach Kumo. We have to offer her something."**_

"Well, it is either attract her attention and maybe get caught or not and I still might die. I'll take my chances with attracting her attention," she says allowed. She slows her breath and reaches inside of her for Nibi's yoki. She finds the dense, purple yoki quite easily and pushes as much of it out of her body as she can.

Around Yugito, a dark purple aura grows around her and abruptly erupts into the sky.

Of course this has a benefit and a consequence. Good news, Kyūbi now knows a Bijū is in the town. Bad news, said Bijū's pursuers now know where she is too.

**With Naruto, Kyūbi, and Hiromi**

Kyūbi's eyes narrow when she sees the column of purple yoki shoot into the sky.

"**Well, this will be interesting. It seems Nibi ****no Bakeneko wishes to speak with me."**

Naruto pulls them to a soft landing on the grass. Surprisingly Hiromi immediately falls to her knees and kisses the ground.

"I thought you would be used to flying," Naruto questions.

Hiromi gives him a look. **"I am but only in my dragon form. I dislike the sensation of falling in my human form."**

Naruto nods and finds Kyūbi already entering the burning town.

"First of all, I need to take care of the fires."

Naruto summons a large amount of water, pulling oxygen and hydrogen out of the air until enough water to fill a lake and quickly sends the water a mile into the air before resetting gravity to normal, allowing artificial rain to fall.

After the short shower, most of the fires are put out and Naruto walks into the village to find Kyūbi. He speeds up when he hears the sounds of battle.

He leaps onto a roof and sees Kyūbi sitting on the edge, watching three people fight. One is a blond about ten years older than him against two men that seems to be winning by a large margin.

"So what's going on?"

"**It seems that girl is the container for the Nibi no Bakeneko. I have a long history with the Bijū and she may not be so happy to see me. I now see why she alerted me to her presence. She is need of rescue."**

Naruto looks from Kyūbi to the raging battle. "Well, are you going to help her?"

Kyūbi sighs in annoyance. **"I'm not sure. Usually I demand payment for my services and from the looks of it, Nibi's container doesn't have anything to offer besides her body. In the past I would accept slaves but now things are different now. Plus those two guys are from Akatsuki. I recognize them from a mission briefing your Hokage did with all the Anbu. That and their cloaks give them away."**

A few moments of tense silence between them before Naruto cuts right through it. "So why are we watching and not doing anything?" Naruto asks, looking at one of his future wives.

"**Because I'm waiting for you and to see what your reaction would be. Just relax and watch. I haven't had a chance to fight someone seriously in a long while."**

Without so much as turning around, Kyūbi takes off towards the fight. Kyūbi makes fire appear between her hands and begins to mold it, make it hotter, denser. She suddenly appears between the three fighters and slams her hands down on the ground.

"**Kitten, get clear now!"**

Yugito doesn't need to be told twice. She uses the last bit of her reserves to shunshin away from the gorgeous red head. And the Zombie brothers also back up, not sure what his new combatant is up to.

"**Onipou: ****Funka no Gansho!**" (Demon Art: Magma Eruption!)

All around Kyūbi, the ground melts and for a few seconds, nothing happens.

"Ha! Fucking bitch can't do anything right," Hidan yells as he charges in, scythe at the ready.

"Hidan, stop!" Kakuzu yells but it is too late.

The red head turns to Hidan, slitted eyes and the ground underneath Hidan explodes in a column of rock melting, metal melting sludge from the core of the earth. Hidan doesn't even have time to scream as the magma, now turned lava, completely encases him and literally melts him into individual particles. The liquefying 2200°F substance covers the area around Kyūbi, making it a wasteland almost instantly. Needless to say that even though Hidan won't die from stab wounds or even decapitation, not having a body is something entirely else. One can't function if the body has been melted or evaporated.

So Hidan, the immortal idiot is dead. Kyūbi lets the geyser of magma go, making it stop erupting from the ground. The ground is covered with the cooling super liquid and Kyūbi crosses it like a she is taking a stroll on the beach. The superheated air around her whips her hair around her face, concealing it's her angelic features. It also has the added benefit of shading her face, making her glowing red eyes stick out of the shadows.

Kakuzu nearly shits his pants. In his very long life, there have been only a few people strong enough to make him leery, even fewer to actually scare him. But no one has made him shit his pants and this woman nearly made him just by looking at him.

Fortunately for him, his brain reactivates. "You will pay dearly for that." There is no way he can face this woman on his own and not with the Nibi Jinchūriki nearby. He has to get away and tell Leader of this new development.

Before he can escape, a shadow overhead gets his attention. A blond with extremely large breasts falls from the sky and a kick lands on Kakuzu's guard, having brought it up just in time. The kick makes him fly back from just the sheer force. His intuition tells him to duck and a hand passes over him, right where his neck had been.

"Damn!" is all he says as the red head engages him in a Taijutsu battle while the blond stands to the side, ready to jump in. His arms sting with every time he blocks. The strength of this woman is insane. Too soon, he is panting heavily and is about to deploy his masks when the red head jumps away not even breathing hard.

"**You like to hunt Jinchūriki while the Bijū inside of them are nearly defenseless? Well it's time for a little pay back! Onipou: Bachiatari no Tama!"** (Demon Art: Souls of the Damned!)

Black…things erupt from Kyūbi's hands and shoot themselves at Kakuzu. He dodges the first five, but then one _grabs_ him. He looks and sees the black goop like thing with large eyes attaching itself to his arm and he feels his skin being burned and dissolved. Then another one attaches itself to his leg, then another one. Soon he is almost covered in them screaming as he is being either eaten or dissolved, he can't tell which one it is.

Then the things are gone but the damage was already done. A good portion of his muscles are eaten, his skin exposed directly to the air, making it sting and vulnerable to airborne…everything. **"You are in way over your head. I'll let you live to send a message back to your leader. 'The greatest of the Bijū will not stand idly as my brothers and sisters are captured. Any further and he will feel my wrath.'"**

Kakuzu nods and prepares to shunshin but a foot on his chest by Kyūbi stops him.

"**Oh, I'm not done yet."**

Encasing her hand in fire, she stabs him in each of his legs, right where two of his hearts are then another strike where his normal heart would be. Kakuzu coughs up blood and judging from the fact that he isn't dead yet shows that she was right in the briefing from Jiraiya. That old pervert is good for something after all.

Kakuzu, beaten and broken for the very first time in his life is deathly afraid. With his hearts, he never has to fear old age and very little to fear from being killed. But this woman within minutes made him look like a fresh Genin. Not only that but she knew exactly where to hit him and that he had multiple hearts.

"**You had better pray that I never see you again even in passing,"** is all she says and Kakuzu takes advantage of the dismissal and shunshins to the nearest Akatsuki hideout.

After Kakuzu takes his leave, Naruto appears next to Kyūbi.

"Well that was quite a show," Naruto comments before being pulled into a scorching kiss by Kyūbi, his mask pulled down and out of the way. After a few minutes of making out, Naruto breaks the kiss due to the need to breathe.

"Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?"

Kyūbi smiles coyly at him. **"Do I need a reason to kiss my future husband? And besides, battle makes me horny."**

Naruto blinks. "Uh…I guess thanks for the information?"

"**I hope you didn't forget about me Naru-kun?"**

Before Naruto can register that Hiromi is there, she too catches him in a heated kiss. Kyūbi looks on, wanting to be part of it too, but now isn't the time as the Nibi owes her.

"**As fun as it might be to pursue where this is going, we have another matter to attend to."**

Hiromi reluctantly breaks the kiss and leaves a dazed Naruto. Both women share a giggle and drag him towards the Nibi's chakra signature. It appears that her container sought refuge inside a house, well more of a hut really, that wasn't burnt to the ground.

Yugito jumps when the door is opened and three people walk in. Two are gorgeous women and a hunk of a blond.

"Who are you?" she asks timidly. She has nothing left. No chakra, no stamina, no energy. She is done.

"**Perk up kitten. This is Kyūbi but I have no idea what she is doing out of her seal nor do I know who these other two are. But judging from the fact that they walked in with Kyu, I can only imagine that they are with her."**

Yugito looks into Kyūbi's slitted red eyes. An evil smirk is across her face, making Yugito very leery about what is going to happen to her.

"**I'm sure the Nibi has informed you that using my services requires payment? Do you have anything to offer me?"**

Yugito looks down at the ground, but when she looks up, she has purple slitted eyes like Kyūbi's. Next thing the three of them know, Yugito is bowing low, her head nearly touching the ground.

"**Kyūbi-dono please just this once, let us go without payment. I promise on my tails that the next time I will pay double what you ask."**

"**You know my rules better than anyone Nibi. It seems like every decade or so I have to save you. I cannot take an I.O.U. It would defeat the entire purpose of my system. Now what is it that you and your container her to offer?"**

Nibi lets a tear fall from Yugito's eyes. There is only one way this will end and her host will not like it one bit.

"**Nothing. She is a Jōnin from Kumo but other than that she has no relatives, no loved ones, no one to care for her. She has her apartment that she rents out and that is it. Although if you accompany us to Kumo, the Raikage will be sure to reimburse you,"** she offers.

Kyūbi looks lazily to the side. **"Monetary sums do not interest me. Paper only holds value as long as the establishment backing it does and nothing lasts forever. So you have nothing to offer and yet you asked for my help? I shall see what interests me."**

Kyūbi walks over to Yugito but Naruto lightly grabs her wrist. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Kyūbi nods and they walk outside and Naruto creates a fast wind over the house to prevent the occupants from hearing.

"Why are you being so cruel? Can't you see she had no choice?"

Kyūbi for the first time since her release looks at him with anger.

"**Do not judge me for how I make my deals. I have been doing this since our separation from the Jūbi and Nibi knew the costs when she signaled me. So don't dare get all self righteous on me."**

Naruto is rather stunned at her outburst. This is the first time that she has ever yelled at him, ever even looked at him without any kind of lust or affection.

She walks up to him and her gaze softens. **"But I am glad that you care. It shows that you are coming out more and more. But let me handle this. I have something planned for this girl that will benefit both her and us."**

She kisses him but this time it is tender and soft. But that doesn't mean that Naruto and Kyūbi didn't enjoy it just as much as their last one. They break the kiss after a few seconds and Naruto gives her a smile and a hug and takes her hand before walking back into the hut.

Nibi's eyes immediately shoot to Kyūbi holding hands with a human, which confuses her greatly as Kyūbi has never taken a mate.

"**I have conferred with my mate and he and I agree that your container is to be our slave."**

Nibi drops her head. There was no way out of it now.

"**I understand."**

She removes her jacket, showing an amazing body with bindings around her chest. Nibi turns around and waits.

Kyūbi walks up behind Yugito and places a finger on the exposed neck. Nibi feels a burning sensation but bears it easily. Once the burning goes down, a fox tattoo is on her neck. The mark of a slave.

While Nibi dresses Hiromi goes over to Kyūbi and engages her in conversation like the branding of a new slave didn't just happen.

"**What now my masters,"** Nibi says. She feels her throat burn. This is not something that she wanted.

"**For now you will return to Kumo and resume your duties. We will accompany you and inform your Raikage of the changes. You will no longer be sent out on seduction missions. You are my and my mate's property and I will not have you being soiled.**

"**You will remain in Kumo until you are recalled to us."**

Nibi can barely believe what she is hearing. Not only will Yugito continue to be a kunoichi but get out of those seduction missions too. She still isn't happy about the slave part but at least she won't have to 'seduce' old men just to get their rocks off.

"**As you wish. I suggest we return to Kumo as soon as possible. I am not sure how much longer my host will be unconscious but when she wakes, she will resume command of her body and freak out. I will have to explain it to her so she will not fight it."**

Kyūbi just waves nonchalantly. **"Whatever. Naruto if you will?"**

He nods and the four of them levitate and moves slowly out the door before shooting off into the sky towards Kumo. Hiromi cuddled with Naruto as Kyūbi and Nibi catch up.

"**So how exactly are we moving like this?"** Nibi asks, genuinely curious.

"**Naruto! Can you take off your glasses? She will find out eventually anyways,"** Kyūbi calls.

Naruto shrugs and takes off his sunglasses, making Nibi gasp. Kyūbi laughs at her facial expression.

"**He is the next Path of the Six Sages. He already has four of the elements at his command. Fire, wind, water, and gravity. And don't tell anybody minus your host. We are keeping it a secret as of right now.**

"**As to how we are moving, Naruto is changing the direction of gravity. Right now gravity for us is Kumo."**

Nibi nods her understanding. She watches as Naruto and Hiromi snuggle, a bit jealous.

"**Are you really ok with that?"** she asks, pointing to Hiromi and Naruto.

Kyūbi nods. **"A few years ago, a teammate of his broke him. She pretended to be his girlfriend because her crush asked her to. After this girl's crush left her, he tore Naruto down to almost nothing. You know how containers are treated. This girl was one of the few things keeping Naruto from losing it and she almost destroyed him. He retreated into himself, cutting himself off from almost all things emotional. **

"**It took over three years to finally break him out of it and even that took weeks of both of us teasing him, being near him, begging. We finally had to strip our clothes and tell him to have children with us to finally get him to crack. Hiromi has contributed to his recovery just as much as me and she deserves to be happy with him too."**

Nibi understands completely. Yugito and her previous containers had all been shunned and hated. She knows all too well just how fragile their minds are.

Nibi and Kyūbi continue to talk, mostly about how Kyūbi is out and able to move around now. They also talk about the other Bijū and where they are and who they are sealed in.

Incredibly soon though, Kumo comes into view.

"**Naruto, takes us directly to the Kage Tower. I don't want to have to deal with the village right now and most would freak out to see Yugito like this."**

Naruto nods and Hiromi, though very reluctantly, lets him go. He directs their path to the tallest building in the center of the village. He has found that most hidden villages have their Kage Towers as the highest building, which to him seems kind of stupid to him. It is like putting neon lights on a ninja trying to hide in the dark.

Naruto directed them through the large window and landed silently. The three from Konoha looked on, slightly impressed, at the man doing a bench press with so much weight, the bar the weights sit on is visibly bending.

Nibi, already used to this sight, coughs, making the large man jump and lose his concentration. The weights slip out of his hands and he is barely able to squirm off the bench before the weights go through the bench and through the floor. The man looks on in horror and humor and laughs when he hears the barbell hit the ground floor and dent the ground by several feet.

Once getting over the humorous part, he looks to see just who disturbed him in his precious workout time. He sees two gorgeous woman that would set any man straight, a blond male and Yugito, but notices she has purple cat-like eyes, which is usual for her when using Nibi's yoki.

"Yugito, who the hell are these people, why does that guy have a Konoha Hitai-ate, and what the hell happened to you?"

'Yugito' walks in front of the man.

"**Sorry, but Yugi-chan isn't home right now. Please try again later."**

The man starts.

"N…Nibi?"

Nibi grins. **"Bingo. Looks like the Raikage has more than just muscles. To answer your asked and unasked questions…Yugito was on her way to her client location when she was jumped by two members of Akatsuki. Yugi-chan fought them but they wouldn't die even with my powers. So she fled. That was five days ago and she has been moving constantly ever since with them on her tail without sleep or rest.**

"**She ducked into a town to get some rest and they just burned the town and killed the inhabitants. So Yugi was forced to fight more. That is when I detected another tailed beast in the area. It was Kyūbi, whom I've had dealing with in the past. She helped us out by killing one and severely wounding the other.**

"**However her help doesn't come cheap. As neither Yugi-chan nor I have much in the way of personal possessions, Kyūbi chose that an acceptable payment is servitude."**

The Raikage eyes the three with Yugito.

"**However the question about how I am conversing with you is because Yugi-chan is taking a much needed rest but her body needs rest too. I'm barely able to move it and I won't be able to do that for much longer. I took control of her body just as she lost consciousness. I will tell you that she does not know about her new status. And there is nothing you can do about it. We have already been marked."**

Nibi turns around and unceremoniously drops her shirt and holds Yugito's hair to the side. The Raikage sees the fox tattoo where slave marks are usually made.

A seethes. "How could you do this? Yugito is like my daughter! I would have reimbursed you for your troubles. It isn't like she doesn't have enough already!" he roars at the three.

Kyūbi steps forward and does to her hanyou form. Fox tails and ears come out and A nearly shits his pants. He feels the oppressiveness of her yoki around him, nearly suffocating him.

"**Listen and listen here you bag of flesh. Yugito's mind, body, and spirit now belongs to me and my mate. There is nothing you can do about it. While I am glad she has someone to care for her I did this for her as much as for me and my mate. Now if you shut that overly large muscle of a mouth of yours, I will inform you of what she is allowed to do."**

A blinks at the buxom woman/Bijū/demon. He had not been expecting that response.

"**First of all, she will remain in Kumo for the time being and will still be a member of your shinobi corps if you allow it. Second, if she remains a shinobi then she will have no more seduction missions. I will not have a sullied and impure slave. She will not be sent on a mission over A-rank nor under B-rank and must be approved by the Raikage.**

"**She will not have another seal placed on her. My mate is of the former Uzumaki clan and is quite adept in seals so he will know if one is placed on her without her consent or knowing. She may go about her daily life as she sees fit. I have no wish to micromanage her life from another village. Should she attempt to run away, break the slave mark, or in any way sabotage me I will deal with her in any way I see fit. You will not protect her, harbor her, or attempt to give her aid. I will be most displeased if I hear this village assisted in the escape of my property. And finally, she will come to live with her masters when he or I come to collect her, whether we will live in Konoha or not will be up to my mate."**

A listens to Kyūbi. He now understands why she…it, he doesn't know how to address Kyūbi. All he knows is now why Kyūbi said it was for Yugito's benefit as well. He didn't even know about the seduction missions or why his council is ordering around _his_ shinobi. Second, she now can't be sent on missions that will be either too difficult or missions that will be available to the public records.

"I...should protest this as Yugito's superior, but as her friend I will accept her…servitude. She will remain a shinobi but will not have access to any classified materials nor will she have access to any vital locations as her loyalty is now compromised. I will abide by the guidelines you have set. However I do have a question. Does your enslavement also refer to the Nibi or just to Yugito?"

Kyūbi turns her glowing red eyes to Nibi who shrinks back a little. **"I am bound as well as it was I who convinced Yugi-chan to signal Kyūbi-sama."** A raises an eyebrow at the title Nibi used but decides that it is expected for them as they obviously have a hierarchy.

"**As much as I like speaking, this body needs to get the hospital. I'm not sure how much longer I can stay in control."**

"It's ok. I'll catch Yugito," A says kindly.

"**Fine, but I think it would be best if I explain the situation to her first. She is less likely to freak out on me than anybody else."**

A nods but Kyūbi enters the conversation.

"**My mate and I will leave a clone here so that she can know who we are. Our clones will remain with the Raikage until she has been informed of the situation. Oh, and that isn't an ordinary slave brand. It is linked with my yoki and I will always know where she is and will be able to administer punishment."**

Kyūbi takes the lead to the window but stops suddenly.

"**Oh, and if I find out that any of my conditions have been broken…let's just say that Konoha wasn't my first attempt at leveling a village."**

With that the three of them float in the air before shooting off into the distance. A turns to Nibi with a serious expression.

"**Before you say anything…I had no choice. Yugito was about to be captured and Kyūbi isn't interested in monetary rewards. But first, we need Yugito to be at the hospital while you investigate just why Akatsuki knew where we would be on an A-rank mission."**

**Time Skip – 2 days**

Naruto and his future wives land a few hundred feet from Konoha's North gate. He had taken his time in getting to Konoha. At 'free fall' with a terminal velocity that was far greater than it normally would be, they would have reached Konoha within two hours. During that time, Naruto and Kyūbi felt their clones dispel, informing them that Yugito has been informed and while not happy about being a slave, accepts it.

As soon as they touch the ground, Hiromi wraps Naruto in a hugs and tenderly kisses him.

"**I need to return to my village. I've been gone too long as it is…"**

Her heart nearly breaks at Naruto's expression.

"**But…I will see you again in the near future. Now that I will be here most of the time, I will have someone else in charge of the main functions of the village. Summon me again in a week, ok?"**

Naruto nods sadly. That is when Kyūbi pounces on his back.

"**Don't worry Naru-kun. That just means more time for us!"**

Hiromi chuckles. She caresses Naruto's face and looks into his eyes. **"I'll miss you."**

With a puff of smoke, Hiromi disappears back to the summoning realm and Kyūbi kisses his cheek from behind.

"**Don't be sad. Once she gets back, that grandma of yours can do the wedding ceremony for us. Of course, we don't have to wait but I think Hiromi would appreciate it if we did."**

Naruto nods behind his half face mask and sunglasses.

"I know and as much as I want to walk with you down the street like this, that would only cause problems. So come out again when we get to the Hokage office, ok?"

Kyūbi gives him another kiss on her cheek and ruffles his hair affectionately before disappearing back into the now highly glorified storage seal. Naruto gets through the gate guards after they hassle him. Only after a subtle threat that the Hokage is expecting him, do they let him through.

He uses the rooftops to make it to the tower, noticing that he drew some attention from the Anbu but they know who he is and let him go after identifying him. He jumps and uses subtle gravity manipulation and dives through the open window.

Tsunade, who had been napping on her papers, jumps up, ready to defend herself. Naruto chuckles at her sleep-laden eyes and the glassy expression on her face. Quick as a flash, he moves forward and lightly slaps her face a few times and gets out of range of her devastating punch before she can retaliate.

She blinks, those slaps doing their jobs and wakes her up. She drops her guard when she sees her adopted grandson. She swears she can see him grinning at her from behind that mask of his.

She turns around and grumbles about disrespecting blonds when she stops midstride. Wait…smiling. She whirls around and pulls that mask down. True to her instincts, there is a small smile on his face.

"Naruto?" she asks.

"Hai…ba-chan."

Her heart skips a beat and warmth spreads around her chest. He hasn't called her that in years! Not since before…that event. She wraps him in motherly, albeit a crushing, hug much faster than he has _ever_ seen her move.

"Could…could you let go please. I need to breathe!" Naruto gasps. But she doesn't listen. He almost rolls his eyes and is about to do something when Tsunade is _pried_ off of him. Tsunade looks shocked that someone overcame her immense strength for a second but sees her would-be assaulter is Kyūbi. It is no surprise that Kyūbi would be physically stronger than her.

"**I would like it if you don't kill him."**

Tsunade nods and dismisses the Anbu posted in her office. She shuts the window and locks the door.

"Sorry about that Naruto. I'm…I'm just happy that you're getting back to your old self again." She looks from the papers on her desk and is shocked to see Kyūbi sitting on Naruto's lap with his arms around her waist.

"So…when did this happen?"

Naruto shrugs.

"**Hiromi-chan and I finally got him to open up in a village outside of Kiri a few days before we left there,"** Kyūbi informs her, all the while enjoying finally being accepted by her chosen mate.

"Wait…this Hiromi. Who is she? I know you asked for a new letter that had her included but I don't know who she is."

Naruto thinks for a second. He has Kyūbi get off his lap and back into the seal while Naruto goes and puts a hand on Tsunade's shoulder. He shunshins both of them to the furthest training ground, number 45, right next to the Forest of Death.

Tsunade falls on her ass, being seated when the shunshin occurred and grumbles to herself as she gets off the ground. When she looks up, she sees that Kyūbi is already outside and Naruto nicks his thumb and wipes it against his summoning seal.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

A small puff of smoke and Hiromi can be seen with an amused look on her face and a hand on her hip as the smoke clears.

"**You know, I knew you would miss me but I didn't think you wouldn't be able to go ten minutes without seeing me."**

Tsunade's eyes nearly come out of their sockets.

"Wait…she is your summons?" she asks dumbly.

Hiromi, not noticing the older woman earlier, whips around to face her.

"**Oh…well I guess that explains why I'm here."**

Tsunade looks from Naruto to the blond that has a larger bust than her own, her jaw agape.

"You didn't tell me she was your summons! What would the boss summons have to say with her staying so long in our world? I'm assuming you didn't send her home every night as that would make things suspicious. "

As a summoner herself, she knows the intricacies of summoning. While she and her sensei both have the boss summons as their personal summons, not every clan is like that and some are extremely touchy about how long their clan members stays in the human world.

Her theory however is popped when an amused Hiromi laughs at the younger-than-her-but-still-older-than-everyone-else woman. Tsunade sees amusement in her eyes.

"**You have no idea who I am, do you?"**

When Tsunade shakes her head, Hiromi looks to Naruto. She silently is asking permission for something and Naruto is deep in thought. With a sigh he nods to her and Hiromi puffs out and goes back to her village.

Confused about what is going on, Tsunade and opens her mouth to voice her confusion when Naruto wipes more blood on the seal.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

This time an enormous amount of smoke comes out of nowhere and when it clears, Tsunade is breathless. This dragon is the largest summons she has ever seen. Despite herself, she feels a chill of fear run down her spine as the dragon lowers its' massive head to the ground.

"**And you were worried about the boss summons?" **Kyūbi interjects. Both Naruto and Tsunade both had forgotten that she was here as well.

Tsunade gulps and just for kicks, Hiromi raises her head and lets out an ear slitting roar. It is so loud that one of the Anbu that is hiding in the trees gets shaken out. He hits the ground, looks to his Hokage and back into the trees to his direct superior and jumps back into the trees like nothing happened and he hadn't just blown their cover. Tsunade quickly sends them away, admonishing them for tailing her.

After uncovering his ears, Naruto manipulates gravity to float up to Hiromi and sits on her snout, ignoring a gob smacked Tsunade while she looks to Kyūbi for an explanation.

"You know…I knew summoning you in your dragon form was going to attract attention, but I didn't count on that. Oh well, it was bound for people to know I'm back sooner or later."

"**Sorry Naru-kun but being that tiny body for such a long time makes me cramp,"** she says softly, but sheepishly.

Naruto scratches the skin in between her scales. "It's alright. I understand. Listen…you said you need a week right? Well Kyūbi was thinking that when you get back, we would…get married. I was wondering what you think."

"**That's fine…"**

They are interrupted by Kyūbi.

"**Hey you two don't forget about me down here! I don't want to have to go all fox form just to talk to you guys!" **she yells. Naruto pales at the threat and knows that she would. Hiromi quickly puts her head down to the ground, leaving Naruto to hang on for his life…well maybe not his life but one hell of a ride.

Naruto lets himself drop to the ground once it is a safe distance to do so and slaps his head.

"Stupid. So Hiromi, this is Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. Ba-chan, this is Hiromi, boss summons of the dragon clan and my personal summons as well."

Tsunade is stunned stupid. Her mind trying to work out just how that much mass gets into that small a body. She is sure that if the dragon were to land in the middle of Konoha, the wings would go from one end of the village to the other. She stands there for a good thirty seconds before she smacks her own face to get herself back to reality.

'Must hide it in those breasts of hers,' she things dryly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm curious as to how…"

Just then two dozen shinobi drop onto the ground. Included are Naruto's old teammates, Team Ten, Team Eight, several Jōnin and Chūnin.

"Tsunade-sama! We saw the mon…is that Naruto?"Sakura stops when she sees a tall blond boy.

There is only one of those in the village. She rushes forward but Hiromi puts her head right near Naruto growls viciously at her, making her back off. That banshee hurt him once, and there is no way in the nine circles of hell is she going to allow her to even get close to him.

Naruto turns around and looks at her, while scratching her. Kyūbi would have been there, but she had disappeared into the seal right before the group landed to avoid awkward questions.

"It's alright. They haven't seen me in a while so it's only natural." Hiromi sees the appreciative look in his eyes and calms, but keeps her head near him and eyes the crowd. Every once and a while, she growls, making the shinobi around the Training Ground shift nervously.

When Naruto turns, he eyes Sakura coldly. "Now what were you going to call my summons, Haruno?"

"Wait…that mission! That was you! Your O…"

"Haruno, you know it is against the law to reveal what you are about to say, so don't!" Tsunade roars at her. But the damage was done. Now they all know Naruto is a part of Anbu as that is the only law like that.

An awkward silence falls on the group.

"Hosh! It appears that Naruto-san's youthfulness is at an all time high! I wish to challenge you Naruto-san to a spar!"

Naruto gives a non-committal nod in his general direction, but turns back to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama, if you don't mind, we have things we need to discuss. Do you need a ride back to the tower?"

Tsunade takes one look at Hiromi then shakes her head. "Thanks, but I prefer to keep my feet on the ground." With that she shunshins back to the Tower.

Naruto jumps onto Hiromi's snout and with a quick warning to Naruto, she lets loose another mighty roar before making them channel chakra into their feet to keep from getting blown away as she goes airborne. She zooms off into the air, away from the baffled looks.

Once in the air, Naruto rubs her snout.

"I don't mean to push you to leave, but you were probably busy when I summoned you. I'll try not to bug you so much over the next week."

Naruto feels a little buck from Hiromi, making him look back at her.

"**You're never a bother and you never bug me. Don't hesitate next time to call me. I **_**always**_** enjoy spending time with you. Besides, I didn't have time to start anything so you didn't catch me while I was busy."**

Naruto fights back a tear and feels a pair of arms wrap around him.

"**Don't ever be shy about calling us. We will always be there to help you, Naru-kun,"** Kyūbi says from behind him. **"And don't worry about that banshee-teme. Hiromi-chan and I won't let her even get close to your person."**

Naruto relaxes as much as he can while in the air into Kyūbi's grip. Hiromi looks on, a little jealous that she isn't the one to comfort him. She flies circles around Konoha for now, allowing them more time to converse.

"Thanks. I don't think that I'm ready for that yet."

"**And don't worry about wondering when I was going to leave. I was about to take a mud bath and one sounds good right about now. So I'll drop you off at the tower and I'll see you when you summon me next,"** she says cheerful…a little too cheerfully.

Next thing Kyūbi and Naruto know, they are in a free fall as Hiromi took herself home. The thing was is that she was a good few thousand feet in the air when she did so.

Kyūbi latches on to Naruto as he begins to slow their decent to a tolerable level. He finds a speed that is quick enough to get them down in a timely manner and make them just a blur to the surrounding shinobi but slow enough that they weren't going to die.

Within five minutes, they are in Tsunade's office once again, Kyūbi on Naruto who is sitting on a couch across from Tsunade.

"So Kyūbi tells me that you have control of gravity which is how you _floated_ up to a twelve story dragon, I'm assuming."

Naruto nods and takes off his glasses for once. This and his apartment are now the only places where he can take them off without worry.

He relays the mission, the demon in the tomb and all. He tells her of Mei and how they sent her off with their analysis of Kiri and its' defenses and fighting ability. Then Naruto hands Tsunade a copy of Hiromi's actual assessment of Kiri overall position as one of the Great Ninja Villages.

When he gets to the part about Yugito and how he and Kyūbi now own a slave, she was a little upset until Kyūbi explained why she did that. After that, Kyūbi explained the conditions for Yugito to stay in Kumo.

"So what you're saying is that Konoha now has another Jinchūriki?" she asks.

"**No,"** Kyūbi snaps. **"Konoha doesn't have a second Jinchūriki. It doesn't even have one. If Naruto wanted to, he could kill everyone in this village and not even get blood on him and I would help him along with Hiromi. Nibi and her vessel belong to me and Naruto. Not Konoha, not you. Just us until such times as I see fit to release her from our services."**

Tsunade is a little ticked at that but decides that getting in a fight with the Queen of the Demons isn't a smart thing.

"Regarding Hiromi and Kyūbi going to be married to me, I would like to activate the CRA."

Tsunade had been expecting that.

"The Board will agree to that easily but they will probably try to set you up with one of each of their own clan members," she warns.

"They have no say in what I do. The CRA is clan business and the Board has no right in saying what I do with my clan. They can suggest a number of wives for me or even suggest that I activate it so. But they cannot force me on it. The only thing they have a say in is whether or not to activate the CRA at the clan's asking and when to deactivate it. Other than that it is clan business and have no say in it."

Slightly taken aback by the outburst, Tsunade can only nod.

"I will only marry those who I chose and who my current wives or fiancés agree to."

"So, seeing as how the Board will not be a problem for you, when are you thinking about having the wedding and do you want to do it separately or in one big ceremony?"

"Kyūbi says next week and Hiromi agreed. Also I was thinking one ceremony. We're going to be a family so why make it private? That will only lead to them competing against each other and leading to jealousy."

"**Aww, does Naru-kun not want us to fight?"** Kyūbi says in a tone like people talk to toddlers.

Instead of answering, he covers her mouth.

"Sorry about that. She can be…ow!"

Naruto takes his hand away to see a grinning Kyūbi and Naruto's hand slightly covered in saliva.

"You bit me!"

"**Oh you just wait. I'm sure I'll be biting you more."**

Tsunade throatily interrupts them.

"As glad as I am to see someone to love you Naruto, please leave that kind of talk and action outside my office! Now what are you going to do about the Rookie Eleven and Kakashi?"

Naruto shrugs. "If they want to talk to me minus her, then that is fine. I'll be honest with them and they can either deal with the new me and my soon-to-be wives or they can leave me the hell alone. I don't need them and they certainly don't need me."

"You should talk to them. The door was open when _she_ broke your heart and most of they were in the hallway visiting Lee, Chōji, Neji, and others of the Retrieval Team. They _all_ have shunned her, even Ino. You should have heard Shikamaru and what he told her. He even slapped her. I don't think she has had more than a dozen full conversations with anyone of the Rookie Eleven since that day.

"I'm not saying you should have a party, but be social. Maybe go out of your way to say hello to some of them every once and a while. They support you and are even willing to stop being friends for you. If that isn't loyalty, then I don't know what is."

Naruto is a little shocked. He didn't think that they felt that strongly for him. Ino was the one that shocks him the most. He was sure that she would side with Sak…her.

"I'll…try."

Tsunade smiles, a rare genuine one. "That's all I ask. I'll set the appointment with the Board in two days. You will need to be present to make an official request. Oh, and you can probably come out with your real name now that you are able to defend yourself. With your permission, I'll announce it tomorrow."

Naruto nods in understanding. "If that is all, I think I will walk around the streets some."

Tsunade waves her hand in a dismissal.

"See you ba-chan." And then Naruto is gone.

Tsunade allows a tear to fall on the paper that she is about to sign. She calls Shizune to message Jiraiya.

**Time Skip – 2 Days**

Naruto and Kyūbi walk into the Board Chambers, ready for their meeting. They walk hand in hand, much to Kyūbi's joy. The Board goes silent with their entry. Naruto is wearing the half mask with sun glasses.

Tsunade stands and addresses him.

"Namikaze Naruto, you have requested as head of the Namikaze Clan to activate the Clan Restoration Act set forth by the Nidaime Hokage. This act allows you to legally marry more than one woman to produce heirs and save your clan from extinction.

"The rules of the CRA are simple. You must take a minimum of three wives and no more than the current ratio of female to male population of the village multiplied by two if it is greater than three. As set by this act, the ratio of the population is taken every four months. As of two months ago by the most current survey, the ratio is two to one which means that you may not take more than four wives.

"Namikaze Naruto, do you accept these terms?"

"I do."

"Then we shall take a vote. All those in favor of activating the CRA for the Namikaze Clan, raise your hands."

There is an overwhelming number of yes votes, making the no votes completely irrelevant. Only two hands said no, but they are from minor civilian clans that have yet to let go of the grudge of Kyūbi.

"Very well. By order of the Hokage and backed by the Board, The Namikaze Clan has now been placed under the CRA until such times as their numbers become great enough to remove it. Congratulations Naruto. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed."

Naruto nods and leaves with Kyūbi, who is very exuberant. She jumps on his back and Naruto carries her out of the Hokage Tower, a smile on their faces.

"Hey Naruto."

And then it is gone.

In front of them is Sakura, holding a stack of papers for the Hokage to sign.

"Who is she?"

Kyūbi gets off of Naruto's back and marches up to Sakura, glaring at Sakura the whole way.

"**Nobody you want to cross. Now I suggest you go on your business before things get ugly."**

Sakura's face grows red with anger.

"And who do you think you are? I am Naruto frie…"

Kyūbi gets within an inch of Sakura's face, rage clearly evident on her features. **"If you say friend, I'm going to rip your throat out. You are not his friend. Friends do not hurt each other like you did to him."**

Before things can get out of hand, Naruto grips Kyūbi's elbow and starts to pull her away.

"Come one Kyu."

Kyūbi allows herself to be pulled away but she suddenly stops and swivels back to Sakura.

"**And just for the record, I am his fiancé. I have every right to hate you."**

Sakura's jaw goes slack and she drops the papers in shock, giving Kyūbi a lot of satisfaction at her shocked look. However, Naruto reasserts himself and pulls her away before anything else can happen.

"You shouldn't antagonize her like that."

Kyūbi 'hphms' and pulls Naruto's arm into the crook of her cleavage.

"**She deserves whatever she gets. I will not let her get away with it."**

Naruto frees his arm and puts it around her shoulder, pulling her into him. He kisses her forehead, making her smile as they walk.

"Thanks for protecting me but you don't have to be so…pushy about it."

Before the two of them walk any further, his Anbu Captain lands in front of them.

"Own, you are to report to the Hokage's office at once."

Naruto sighs and nods to him. The Anbu leaves to continue his mission of summoning his squad.

"**Shall we go?"**

Naruto nods and shunshins away.

**Hokage Office**

When Naruto arrives, he sees he is one of the last to arrive. The office is full of Anbu, both Black Ops, Regular, and the Hokage's personal guard. Naruto already has on his Owl mask and his armor-turned-hoodie over his blond hair, masking his identity. Kyūbi is in a fox form on his shoulders, curled up on his shoulders, nuzzling his neck under the hoodie.

With a few more shunshins, Naruto's Captain and two other members of his squad arrive. Tsunade, seeing that everyone has arrived, quiets everyone.

"I have called this meeting to inform you all that Konoha is being targeted by Akatsuki. Jiraiya received word that in three days time, Akatsuki will invade and try to capture the Kyūbi Jinchūriki. I have already sent our fastest envoys to Iwa, Kumo, and Suna to help combat this threat. We will have all those who help here in Konoha where we will make our stand since Konoha is the target and the most defended place in Hi no Kuni.

"Each of you will receive instructions. Most of them will be border patrols, increased wall guards, and the like. I am mandating a complete recall of all our shinobi. During this time, no missions will be accepted. Tomorrow you should all train vigorously but the next day, everyone is to take it easy and rest. I will make an announcement to the rest of the shinobi in one hour."

One Anbu voices a question. "Do we know anything about the invasion force? Numbers, ranks, invasion plans, routes they will be taking?"

"No. Not at this point that is anything more than speculation. Unverified Intel is more dangerous than no Intel. Jiraiya will be doing all that he can but he is only one man. The Anbu Commander will be drawing up battle plans so we will be as prepared for it as much as possible.

"Your captains have your assignments. Dismissed. Owl, step forward."

The room clears out except for Naruto. Kyūbi comes out from her hiding place and sits on Tsunade's desk.

"Can either of you communicate with Yugito?" Tsunade asks.

Kyūbi shifts into her human form and nods. **"Through the slave mark I made on her, I am aware of her location, her current condition, and I can give her commands through the link."**

Tsunade nods. "Good. I was counting on that. Send Yugito a message and have her ask for Kumo's help. I'm pretty sure that they will accept since they have two Jinchūriki that would vastly help our defenses."

Kyūbi touches the back of her neck, opening the communications between them.

**Kumo – Yugito's Apartment**

Things in her life have been on a dramatic improvement. First the Council gets a beat down from the Raikage for ordering around his shinobi and then she gets forbidden from seduction missions and missions that are a waste of her time.

One bad thing is that she is no longer privy to classified information anymore but that doesn't bother her much. The worst thing though…she can't date, can't have sex, can't have an active relationship. Despite her hating the fact that she was forced on those seduction missions, she is practically addicted to sex now. From her tenant, who is the horniest of the Bijū and enters heat every few weeks, to the sheer frequency of those missions, she can't stand not having her body pleasured like that.

Right now she is relieving her stress the only way she knows how. By masturbating. Three fingers deep, bucking her hips, groping a breast, moaning loudly. The whole nine yards.

Imagine her surprise when she hears an unfamiliar voice.

"**Yugito!"**

She stops instantly and bolts straight up, looking around for whoever interrupted her alone time. Whoever interrupts her is going to die.

"**Yugito!"** the voice calls again. It is full of authority and power, cowing her slightly but only just.

She whirls around, ready to defend herself and tear the person calling her apart.

"**Try in your mind!"**

"Nibi, what the hell is going on?" she asks.

Nibi stirs. She yawns and looks around in the mindscape.

"**Kitten, come in here. Someone wishes to see you."**

Yugito is confused. There isn't anyone besides Nibi in her mind. But with nothing better to do and looking for answers, she relents. She appears in the mindscape completely naked, just like in the real world. There is no reason to hide herself as only Nibi is there and she knows what she looks like anyways.

She approaches Nibi's cage and sees her read haired master. Her mouth hangs open, completely stunned. Kyūbi turns and smirks at the gob smacked Yugito.

"**Well hello my servant. I see you have been…enjoying yourself."**

Yugito blushes in embarrassment and covers herself with her arms.

"**Are you embarrassed? You shouldn't be in front of your master."**

Yugito's ire rises. "What the hell do you want?" she spits.

Suddenly her slave mark becomes scorching hot, her flesh glowing red hot from the seal. She grasps her neck but her fingers get burned and she pulls them off. She writhes on the ground in immense pain for what seems like hours. As quickly as the pain come, it is gone.

She lays on the ground, breathing heavily while her skin cools down. Kyūbi kneels in the small of her back, pushing Yugito's body into the ground. Nibi looks on in sympathy. She doesn't like to see her host in pain but she needs to learn this lesson or it will be much worse later on.

"**You had best learn to respect your masters otherwise the consequences will be much more severe. Now I have a task for you."**

Kyūbi allows Yugito to at least get on her knees. "Fuck you!" she yells out.

Before Kyūbi can activate the slave seal again, Nibi calls out.

"**Kyūbi-sama, please forgive her. She is in withdrawal from not having sex. Those bastards made her addicted to pleasure from having her so many times in quick succession. Also, I'm in heat again which is only aggravating her condition."**

Kyūbi looks from Nibi and back to Yugito's defiant glare.

Quick as a flash, Kyūbi has Yugito pinned up against a wall by her neck. She presses two fingers to the top of Yugito's already soaked folds (from her earlier attempts) and a light red chakra surrounds her fingers. Yugito instantly lets out a loud howl of pleasure, the yoki stimulating her nerves like nothing has before. She squirms violently but Kyūbi's grip is iron.

In mere seconds, Yugito has fluids spilling out from an earth-shattering orgasm. It is so strong that Yugito nearly passes out, her world spinning around her like a top. Her breath is once again very shallow as she tries to breathe but her body doesn't seem to be cooperating. If not for Kyūbi's grip on her, she would have fallen over.

Kyūbi allows Yugito to come down from her high and looks into Yugito's eyes dead on.

"**From now on, you will not be disobedient. You will not talk back, you will not fight, and you will definitely not beg for release. Do I make myself clear?"**

Yugito instantly bows her head in submission, clear as day who her master is. "I…I understand…Kyūbi-sama."

Kyūbi lets her go but Yugito does not get up, showing that she isn't going to fight Kyūbi's dominance.

"**You are to go to the Raikage and inform him that Akatsuki is on the move and will invade Konoha in three days time. We wish for an alliance to deal with this threat as it will set Akatsuki back in their plans for a long time or eliminate them completely. We already have sent word to Iwa and Suna. You will open the slave mark once you have the answer."**

Yugito nods her understanding. Kyūbi bends down to look her in the eyes.

"**I know that you don't approve of this situation but it is for your own good. Even your Raikage thinks so. I know that this won't be easy on you but I try to have your best interest in mind and not just because you're my servant but because you are a Jinchūriki like my mate used to be. I respect your ability to not give in, to keep going. **

"**I will be coming here every few days to break you of your addiction and eventually you will be free of it."**

Kyūbi stands back up to leave but Yugito's arm reaches out and grabs the hem of her pants. Kyūbi looks back to see Yugito's eyes covered by her bangs.

"I…I know that this is…better than what is was. I'm…grateful for saving me. But…but I want…I want to love who I want! I can't date who I want because no relationship can last without sex. I want to have a relationship!"

By this point Yugito is bawling. Kyūbi turns and lifts Yugito's head to make her look at her.

"**If a male requires sex, then it won't be a fulfilling relationship and is just in it for the sex. Sex is just that…sex. It doesn't mean much now-a-days because people trivialize it and sex just complicates things. My mate and I haven't had sex but we love each other and we are going to go get married soon."** Kyūbi gives a slight squeal at the thought.

"**I will allow you to sex with them…but only if you date them for six months before hand. No one night stands, no drunk sex. And if you feel strongly enough for your…other then he or she can come with you when you come to live with us."**

Yugito looks at her master with tears in her eyes. Suddenly she throws her arms around Kyūbi's neck and sobs. Kyūbi pats her head lightly.

"Th…thank you…master."

Kyūbi disengages herself from Yugito.

"**It is time to wake up and go and see your Raikage."**

Yugito nods and disappears from the mindscape. Kyūbi turns to Nibi, who is eying Kyūbi gratefully.

"**I trust you to keep her out of trouble and away from making any mistakes. Also tell her to put chakra into the seal to contact me. I'll put a seal on the inside of your cage so you can contact me on your own."**

Nibi nods and Kyūbi puts her hand on the wall, just inside the cage. A replica of the slave tattoo appears on the wall, slightly hidden in the dark shadows. Kyūbi turns to leave when Nibi's voice stops her.

"**Thank you for treating her like this. I know it isn't easy for her but that is no excuse to lose control over her emotions like that."**

"**I'm doing what I can to help everyone out. Before Naruto, I wouldn't have batted an eye at her situation but now…I feel compelled to help her, to help all of the Jinchūriki. I…I don't know how to deal with this new feelings."**

Nibi sways her tails behind her, thinking. **"Maybe it is because you don't want to disappoint that mate of yours. Other than that, I can only think that your nature is changing but I've never heard of anything like that happening."**

"**Didn't it happen to Gobi? He changed from a creature that doesn't exist to a weasel. Oh well. I'll think about it later. I've got to go and get back as I have been gone much longer than I anticipated."**

With that, Kyūbi disappears from Yugito's mindscape leaving Yugito to wonder just that was that conversation she overheard was as she dresses.

**Hokage Office**

Naruto slightly panicked when Kyūbi slumped over but after checks by Tsunade that were completely useless because she doesn't have an actual body, they sit her on the couch, her head in Naruto's lap. He gently strokes her long, soft hair, looking down at his angel with a soft expression.

Tsunade looks on at the scene with a large smile of her own. This is what Naruto deserves; this is how it should have been all along. Two lovers

Both are quite glad when Kyūbi stirs.

"**Fox-kun that feels good."**

Naruto continues his ministrations and Kyūbi melts into his touch, his caress. She purrs slightly at his gentle touch.

As much as Tsunade hates to break up this tender moment, there was a reason for them being here.

"Uhem,"she gets there attention, well Naruto's but Kyūbi doesn't open her eyes.

"**Don't stop,"** she mumbles and Naruto resumes his petting.

"So…how did it go?"

"**I had a little trouble from her but I made sure she knows who her masters are. She is delivering a message to the Raikage as we speak. I told her to contact me as soon as she has an answer."**

Tsunade opens her mouth to dismiss them when her door opens and a very tired Chūnin enters the office.

"Report!"

The Shinobi tries to stand straight up but he can't, his muscles are too fatigued.

"Iwa…Iwa has agreed to help us. They wish for revenge against Akatsuki for taking their Jinchūriki. A force of a thousand shinobi consisting of Jōnin and Chūnin level ninjas will be here tomorrow."

And with that the messenger shinobi passes out.

"Anbu, take this man to the hospital and then round up civilians and have them help set up tents on the training fields. The hotels in the village will not be enough."

The Anbu salultes before he/she shunshins away.

Tsunade turns her head to Naruto.

"I have an assignment for you."

* * *

End Chapter 6

I have to say something about last chapter. I said something that insinuates that Anko is a whore or a slut. That wasn't my intention but her attitude on sex was. I believe that she thinks that sex is something to be enjoyed and not saved for a select few to know her body that intimately. That is my position and opinion, not fact so don't flame me over that.

xx

Also, the polls is going great. Keep at it. Once again, any votes over the reviews will not be counted. **Only votes on my profile page will count!**

-The sword is directly linked to Naruto. The sword can speak directly into Naruto's mind, speed up his reflexes, give him knowledge of moves the past users have done, and project images into Naruto's mind almost like a second brain that is feeding him a vast amount of information and knowledge

-Kushina comes back as a physical being to aid Naruto

-Being a divine relic, it can resurrect someone for a short amount of time to aid in battle. It can only bring one person back at a time and the person is allowed thirty minutes. Each person can only be summoned once a week and the user must know the full name of the person they bring back

-Naruto stabs himself in the chest while it's inform two, causing the sword to merge with him. An aura of light, angel wings, and the ability to weild Holy form would only give him the basics of Holy Jutsu. He would have to create any techniques himself.

xx

I tried this on another story of mine and it worked _really_ well. Tip for all authors, make a summary at the end of the story as it helps readers remember what you wrote and gives them something to focus on instead of a two sentence review.

-How was the fight scene with Kyuubi?

-What do you think about Naruto's abilities?

-How is the plot line? Does it make sense?

-What do you think of Yugito's enslavement?

-Grammar? Spelling? How did I do?

-Nibi/Yugito interactions? Yugito's addiction?

-Suggestions about the future?

xx

Once again, thanks for tuning in. Until next time

tomhunt98


	7. Chapter 7: Invasion

AN: And I'm back from the grave...not really but I had to deal with a few things with this update. Things like life...severe apathy...other stories...

So, yeah. I'll try to be better about the update speed.

xx

to **All Readers**: just a heads up on the pairings. There will be _no_ Konoha girls with Naruto. None. Sure they can be friends but no romantic relations who was born in Konoha. I haven't decided if Yugito will end up with Naruto or not. At the start, I had someone else I wanted in, but now I'm not so sure. I will continue to think about it and make a decision soon.

Also, Naruto's powers are different than Pain's. I will go more into depth about it later but he will not have six other bodies to control.

to Antoinette Castellan: Don't worry, he won't be with Hinata. I also don't like that paring so none of my stories will have a romantic Naru/Hina. Also, don't worry about Naruto getting the extra abilites of the Sharingan. All in due time.

to StormeSkyes: No Sasuke or Itachi or Madara will get access to the tombs. Why? That will be explained later. But know that I have bigger enemies than Madara planned. No need to worry about Naruto not having opponents stronger than him.

to Lednacek: Naruto travels by manipulating the gravity on himself and whoever he is traveling with. Now he doesn't have the control to do just him yet, so he grabs the entire area out to a few inches of the person/people he is pulling. As a result, each person has their own little 'pocket' of air. Also, when traveling in a group, instead of individuals having gravity manipulated, the entire area is under the effects, meaning the air is moving at the same pace as them.

**Chapter 7: Invasion  
**

"Move those timbers…hurry with those seals! Come on, put your backs into it!"

Everyone along the wall suddenly freezes and stares at the busty blond.

"Does this look like a piss break? Get back to work!" she shouts, making everyone move in fast forward.

Tsunade sighs as she oversees the bracing and updating of Konoha's walls and defenses. A seal that Jiraiya came up with last week along with Naruto's Uzumaki scrolls is something that any Kage would be interested in. In essence, it seals nature chakra into the walls, strengthening it several times what it would normally be. Add that to the chakra absorption and nullifying seals already in place on the outside of the walls, any jutsu would instantly be reduced in rank by two and chakra would be absorbed from anyone attempting to climb it using the tree exercise.

"You're getting edgy. Perhaps you should take a break," a voice comes from behind her.

She turns to see Jiraiya making his way over to her.

"I can't, not with the Akatsuki being a day away now…I can't help but get on edge."

Jiraiya nods in understanding. He would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling antsy himself.

"Where's Naruto?"

"He should be back here anytime now. I sent him to Taki to see if they can help out as well. They may not have a large military but they do have the Nanabi no Kabutomushi and a Jinchūriki can make a large difference on the battlefield."

Just then Naruto, his Owl Anbu mask on, lands between the two and an orange eyed girl landing just after him (I won't describe her as I'm sure everyone knows what she wears and what she looks like. If not then look it up).

"Mission successful," is all the words he says as a fox comes out from under his hoodie and lays behind his neck. The Sannin's eyes shoot to the fox and understand immediately. However, the green-haired woman speaks, drawing their attention.

"My name is Fū, Jinchūriki of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi," she says respectfully, bowing low as she does so.

Tsunade smiles at the young woman before her.

"I'm Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, and this pervert is Jiraiya, the Toad Sage. I'm glad your leader sees Akatsuki as a threat to all of us. You will be staying with Owl is his clan houses for now along with any other Jinchūriki that shows up."

Fū nods, but her eyes keep shifting back and forth between Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the shinobi around her like she is expecting an attack. This garners a knowing look between the Sannin.

Seeing this, Naruto creates a clone with Jōnin level chakra so it won't dispel any time in the next week and the clone hops up onto a nearby building. "If you would like, my clone can take you to my clan compound and give you a tour. It hasn't been used in a while but I have most of it up and running. Just ask my clone for anything you might need."

Fū follows the clone, eager to get away from the attention and from so many potential haters/enemies and they jump to the top of the roofs to avoid traffic. The three of them watch her go. Naruto, not looking at the two leaders, answers the questions they both have.

"Before you ask, she hates most people on principle. The only people she really trusts are other Jinchūriki or her brother, Shibuki. She is always on guard around people who haven't gained her trust, which is less than a dozen people she knows. Once, her apartment complex got set on fire and after saving another tenant, she was blamed for the fire by everyone but her brother and close friends. Luckily her brother found the culprit but those kinds of things happen all the time for her."

Jiraiya and Tsunade become slightly depressed at hearing her life story and feel hatred to those stupid masses. They would believe the sky is falling if not for someone telling them otherwise. Someone once told them that a massive person holds the sky up as punishment for going against the gods. And a lot of people believed that too!

Breaking out of his train of thoughts, Jiraiya shifts an eye to Tsunade.

"How is Iwa behaving?"

"Surprisingly well. I have heard of very little complaints against the shinobi and they seem to be behaving themselves. I thought they would come in and make a hissy fit over having to 'save Konoha'," she says the last part with extreme sarcasm. "Although I am mostly surprised at the villagers. Most of them don't care that Naruto is the son of their hero, Iwa is caring even less."

That gets a raised eyebrow from Naruto and Jiraiya but Naruto chuckles a little.

"At least they are consistent. It would have been worse if they suddenly had been bowing at his feet begging for forgiveness. And something tells me they wouldn't have gotten it."

Jiraiya and Tsunade nod while the fox nuzzles his neck. However, the conversation turns serious again when Tsunade asks a loaded question.

"Any word on Kumo?"

Naruto looks around before using the shunshin to the Hokage office, deciding that the area is too open and too great a risk of someone overhearing or read their lips. Instantly a sound and physical barrier go up, making it impossible for outside people to hear or enter. Kyūbi hops out of Naruto's hood and onto his lap.

"**Yugito says that Kumo will also help but with Orochimaru and Sasuke raiding nearby towns lately, they are unable to commit a large military force. They will send Yugito and Killer Bee, holding the Nibi and Hachibi respectfully,"** says a now human Kyūbi.

"I think that is for the best. I don't think Konoha could use another couple hundred shinobi. It would get too crowded here. When will they be here?" Tsunade asks.

"**That's the thing. They won't get here until tomorrow at best. Yugito didn't know the details but it feels like the Raikage is either hiding something or is intentionally delaying their arrival, but to what purpose is beyond me."**

Tsunade makes a thinking pose but Jiraiya shrugs. "Oh well. We can't count on them as of right now. Kiri has declined to allow our envoys into the city, making it clear it doesn't want anything to do with us. Suna will arrive tonight with a few dozen Jōnin along with Gaara and his siblings. So I think we will do alright. Three Jinchūriki with two more on the way and the most powerful Bijū is a hell of a fighting force. Plus two Sannin and hundreds of Jōnin and Anbu level shinobi should be more than enough to make Akatsuki think twice."

Kyūbi and Tsunade seem pacified by that. Kyūbi looks to Naruto, who, under the mask, has a scowl on his face.

"**Naru-koi, what's wrong?"** she asks. She knows him well enough to know what kind of face his is making by his body language alone.

"I've just been thinking…why would Akatsuki just announce their intensions to invade? And why now of all times? It seems like a setup to me."

Tsunade looks to Jiraiya for the answer to that particular question. It did seem suspicious that they just happen to stumble a plan to invade Konoha.

"They didn't. One of my contacts heard it from a drunken Jōnin from Ame and that got passed down the line."

Naruto shakes his head. "That's what I mean. Ame has been virtually sealed for what, ten years now? Ever since the downfall of Hanzo, the whole country has been on lockdown and your contact just so happens to hear that? I may not know a lot about spy networks but it seems a little obvious."

Jiraiya thinks about it for a second before shrugging again. "It could be but a lot of information is like that. Most of it is pure luck of being at the right place at the right time. And my contact is one of my best. I trust her work."

"They may also be desperate. With Kakuzu getting back to Akatsuki that he was defeated by Kyūbi they know she is out and is going to stop them. They probably want to get her and you out of the way because she is going to be the largest road block for them."

That pacified Naruto. He stands, making Kyūbi pout cutely.

"Well, take the rest of the day off. I'm going to relieve the shinobi working right now and have the next shift start. Make sure you get rested for tomorrow. I have no doubt that tomorrow could be our last," Tsunade says softly.

"Wait...before you go, take off your mask please," Jiraiya asks.

Naruto, confused at what he wants, complies. He takes off his mask and is suddenly wrapped in a large hug from the man.

"It's good to have you back…gaki. I…I just wish your mom's chakra hadn't dissipated already. She would have loved to see you as you are now."

Naruto has a looks down in shame. "Me too. I regret not spending time with her now that she is gone," Naruto says, his voice full of remorse. Suddenly a look of sheer annoyance. "If I'm a gaki, Ba-chan is the same age her henge is showing us. I haven't been a gaki since I came back from the training mission. But now if you will excuse us, we have some rest to get."

Naruto whisks Kyūbi away after picking her up bridal style. Jiraiya laughs at her 'eep' at being picked up. There is something funny about a Bijū 'eep'ing.

**Namikaze Compound**

Naruto and Kyūbi arrive and walk, with Kyūbi still in his arms, to their clan house. Kyūbi blushes a bit, embarrassed at being carried like this. Part of her is pushing to be dominant, to make _him_ be the one being carried. But another side of her…something that all woman share…loves being carried like this, by the one she loves, to feel his muscles under his shirt, to be able to lean on him.

"**You know I can walk right?"** she asks just to see what his response is.

Naruto shrugs, making her bounce a little which garners another 'eep' from her. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to."

Kyūbi smiles and rubs herself against his chest, very satisfied with his answer.

"Who are you?"

Naruto stops and looks to Fū, who is was wondering around the compound. She is looking rather intently at Kyūbi, cuddled up against Owl-san.

"This is my fiancé, Kyu. Kyu-hime, this is Fū. She is staying here under the orders of the Hokage for the invasion tomorrow."

Kyūbi moves to be let down and Naruto, getting the hint, sets her down, but not without goosing her first. Kyūbi sends him a mock glare, and he chuckles at her. Kyūbi walks up to Fū, who shies away quite quickly, drawing a kunai at the same time.

Kyūbi stops and raises her hands, like a civilian would.

"Whoa, I just wanted to shake your hand…" she says with a fearful tone.

Getting her plan, Naruto walks up behind Kyūbi and wraps an arm around her very sexy body and nestles into her neck.

"It's ok. I don't think Fū here meant anything by it. See, she was treated really badly in her village because she is a Jinchūriki and those bastards can't tell the difference between a person and a demon."

Fū's eyes go wide when Owl-san tells Kyu about her status, hurt that he would betray her so easily. He had earned a little trust from her, seeing as how he treated her with respect and not as a demon. She is about to jump away, tears in her eyes when Kyūbi's voice stops her.

"Oh, just like that Naruto from here. Yeah, I always helped him out whenever we crossed paths. If it weren't for you, I would probably be dating him."

Naruto snuggles close to her, whispering something to her ear that Fū can't hear. But what Kyu said has her thinking. She doesn't have a problem with Jinchūriki; in fact she would date one too. Maybe…maybe this woman isn't…maybe this woman is ok.

Kyu laughs at something Owl-san says and Fū puts her kunai away, an action not missed by either Kyūbi or Naruto. She slowly, very timidly walks forward, but stops the furthest away that she can get away with.

She extends her hand, but she is tense, extremely so. She is ready to pounce like a cat that has been watching a mouse hole the entire day. Kyūbi slowly takes the hand and shakes it. Suddenly Kyūbi moves forward and hugs Fū.

Fū tenses, her body making concrete envious, and her hand instantly finds her kunai on instinct. Fū's arm brings down the kunai and her eyes widen when she realizes her instincts are about to kill someone just wanting to give her a hug. With a monumental effort, she brings the kunai to a stop a hair's width away from piercing Kyu's clothes.

Under his mask, Naruto smiles. He is glad that Fū finally trusts someone enough to make physical contact outside of her circle. Even he hasn't touched her yet outside of a handshake.

Kyu spins them around slowly to look at Naruto, still hugging Fū and looks for permission for something. Naruto nods and Kyūbi squeals. Naruto makes a clone and dispels it immediately. The clone that showed Fū around now knows what his creator wants. The clone makes his way to the female baths and creates more clones to start it and make it ready.

Kyūbi literally drags Fū away down the compound. But what Fū doesn't know is that the Kyūbi leading her away is a clone, having Kawarimi'd with it before Fū saw them. Even Naruto didn't notice until a wink when Fū and Kyūbi were hugging. Once Fū is out of sight, the fox clone comes out and transforms into her human form and instantly captures Naruto in a heated kiss. That is, after ripping the mask off his face.

They stand there, making out. Kyūbi wraps her arms around Naruto's neck and his hands find the back of her head.

"Not…that…I'm complaining…but…"

"**Then don't,"** Kyūbi interrupts him. They continue to mac for the next few minutes, not really paying attention to their surroundings.

"**Uhem."**

Naruto and Kyūbi break apart, only if a by a little, and look to the intruder into their time.

"Hiromi-chan!"

Hiromi finds herself wrapped in a giant hug from Naruto. She laughs and hugs him back as he whirls her around.

"**I missed you,"** she whispers when her feet once more find the ground. Their faces are just millimeters apart and each can feel the other's hot breath on their skin.

"I missed you too. How did you get here?" he asks.

"**How do you think the summons gave contracts to begin with? We always have the ability to summon ourselves but it costs a lot of chakra so we mostly let our summoners do it for us."**

Naruto nods his head and continues to hug her when suddenly a light goes off in his head. "Hold on. Let me go change quickly."

Both look confused as Naruto literally disappears. Less than ten seconds later, he reappears in front of both of them, wearing 'casual' clothes, i.e. a short sleeveless t-shirt, gloves, and boots that is his hidden armor. He forgoes his half mask now that people know he is back, there is little reason to hide himself.

He grabs a slightly stunned Hiromi and Kyūbi and drags them off into the village. Before long, Naruto slows down allowing both women grab an arm as they walk down the street. This gets Naruto some very nasty looks. All Naruto does is smirk and give each of them the bird, making each of his girls giggle each time a person gets an offended look. This has Hiromi and Kyūbi smirking themselves, glad that Naruto is being possessive of them.

Eventually they reach a park, making the girls even more confused. Naruto leads them to a bench and has them sit down.

"Stay here. I shouldn't be long."

Kyūbi opens her mouth to ask why when Naruto puts a finger to her lips, silencing her before she starts.

"Don't worry, it will be worth it. I wouldn't ask you if it weren't for a reason. Ok? Plus you can catch up with Hiromi-chan here."

Kyūbi crosses her arms, not liking Naruto going off like this, but accepts it. Naruto smiles and briefly touches her face along with Hiromi's before quickly walking off.

The two nonhumans sit in silence for a few minutes, not really sure what to talk about or how to break the surprisingly awkward silence. That is solved when a tall, burly man comes into view and walks straight towards them. The thing that caught their eyes is the Iwa Hitai-ate around his left thigh. Two men behind him flank him on both sides. They too wear an Iwa brand.

Both raise their eyebrows, or mentally did, as the man walks…swaggers up to them. He stops and flexes his considerable muscles as he puts his hands over his head, making sure to flex his biceps.

"Hello ladies. How about I show you a good time?" he says in a deep voice.

Kyūbi and Hiromi look at the guy in shock that he would have the audacity to ask them. Suddenly they burst into laughter at the same time, the same thought running through both their heads. The bulky man stands there, confused.

"What? Don't think you can handle a real man?"

Kyūbi laughs harder and nearly falls into Hiromi, who somehow retains control of herself.

"Sorry, but we are taken by someone who is more 'manly' than you will ever be."

The man growls. "And who would this 'man' be? I bet I could take him."

Kyūbi instantly sobers up. "Look, you already have been told we are taken. Go before he comes back."

The man smirks. "Bring him on."

Suddenly Kyūbi and Hiromi are in front of him, both bending back the wrists on both hands, making each of them break with a sickening (it sounds like heaven to Kyūbi) _snap_. The man howls in rage but neither woman lets up on their iron grip.

"If you can't handle two 'insignificant' women, how are you supposed to deal with the strongest shinobi in the village, possibly the world? Now scram and crawl back to your caves before I really get angry," Kyūbi threatens, her eyes glowing a little bit.

The big man is visibly shaken by the encounter and scuttles away, nearly tripping over his 'friends'. Both woman sit down and smooth out their clothing while Kyūbi shoots off a one liner.

"**I guess he made like a prom dress and took off…"**

Hiromi sweatdrops at Kyūbi's terrible comment.

"**All things aside, I see you and Naruto have gotten close."**

Kyūbi picks up on her slightly depressed tone and doesn't miss that out of all the topics in the world, she chose Naruto. She scoots over and wraps an arm around her, noticing her downcast gaze.

"**Don't feel sad Ryu-chan. You saw his reaction to seeing you. Why don't you and him go out for dinner tonight?"**

Hiromi brightens considerably but sends a questioning glance at the nickname. But a thought enters her mind and she gets nervous. She looks away, blushes, and pokes her fingers together.

"**So…have…um…you two…you know…"**

Kyūbi looks at Hiromiwith a confused look when Naruto walks up. He looks at the slightly tense atmosphere between them and sighs.

"What's the matter?"

Hiromi looks away shyly but Naruto takes it differently.

"What happened?" he says more firmly.

When neither answer, Kyūbi because she doesn't know why and Hiromi because she is too embarrassed.

"Look, I'm going to get it out of either of you so you might as well come out with it."

"**I asked if you had sex yet alright!" **Hiromi snaps and instantly covers her mouth. She spins around making her legs go over the side of the bench, her face going redder than a red bell pepper. Her hands are hiding her face in embarrassment of her outburst.

Naruto and Kyūbi share a look. Kyūbi scoots over and Naruto slides in next to (i.e. behind her as her back is to Kyūbi and Naruto) Hiromi. Naruto then puts his arms around her and gently pulls her into his chest. He strokes her hair and whispers to her. She leans into it, but still tries to hide her embarrassment and shame.

"We wouldn't…I wouldn't do that to you. We come in a package of three, not two. If you were feeling left out, then you should have told me or Kyūbi."

He hears a small sob and tightens his grip around her. He rocks her back and forth gently, waiting for the tears to subside.

"**You…you don't know how much I missed you. After spending everyday for the past three months with you and then suddenly you weren't there…I…I…there was this empty feeling inside me. So I…I got jealous of Kyūbi spending so much time with you."**

Hiromi tries to pull away, but Naruto holds her tight. Naruto takes her hand and Hiromi feels something on her finger. She looks down and gasps. On her ring finger is a ring, made from interlacing gold and platinum. But the setting is of a good sized, bright yellow topaz. It's an engagement ring.

"**Naru…it's…"**

Hiromi can't even talk, so overwhelmed by emotions.

"I'll accept you with all of your faults, your jealousy, your rage. All of you. Just as you accepted mine."

At his words, she only increases the tears but this time she latches onto him. After a few minutes Hiromi calms down and kisses him tenderly.

"**I'm…I'm sorry for getting jealous. I…I'm so ashamed of it."**

"It's ok. It shows you care enough about something to be worried to lose it. However, you shouldn't be asking me for forgiveness."

Hiromi slowly stands from her position and kneels in front of Kyūbi.

"**Can…can you forgive me for…getting jealous?"**

Kyūbi pretends to think about it for a second. **"Of course Ryu-chan! After tomorrow, you can go on your date and then marriage!"**

Hiromi back tracks a little. **"Wait…but you said tonight!"**

Kyūbi gives Naruto a glance. **"I did but Naru-koi looks extremely tired and if we are going to be fighting a war tomorrow, we need to be getting to sleep early."**

Hiromi nods slowly, understanding at least but she is still very disappointed at not being able to go out with Naruto tonight. Kyūbi understands her plight and again wraps Hiromi in a hug.

All the while, Naruto sits with a smile. He wants them to be good friends because he doesn't want them fighting over him. They part but not before Naruto has a nose bleed from imagining himself between those…luscious marshmallows. Oh how he wishes he could be the chocolate in that smore.

'Hehe…not too long before that becomes a reality.'

Kyūbi looks lover to Naruto as he quickly wipes the blood away and hops into his lap, making him groan.

"**So…I assume you have something for me then?"** she asks in a giddy voice.

Naruto rolls his eyes…not that anyone can tell, but that isn't the point. He nods and whispers, "Spoil sport."

He takes her hand and slips on another ring. When Kyūbi looks down, she is stunned by it. It is the same style as Hiromi's, being made from intertwining gold and platinum but her setting is of a ruby.

"**Naru-koi, I love it."**

Now Naruto and Kyūbi share a kiss, a tender one as well.

"We should go now. We have a big day tomorrow."

Kyūbi nods but Hiromi looks confused.

"**What is happening tomorrow?"**

"I'll tell you on the way to the compound. Just know that there is another Jinchūriki staying in the compound right now. Her name is Fū and she doesn't like normal people all that much and she doesn't know who I am."

Hiromi nods, understanding not to use his real name or to reveal the fact that she isn't human, and latches onto his torso along with Kyūbi as the three of them walk back to the compound and listens to what she missed.

**Time Skip – 8am Next Day**

Naruto wakes with a light knocking at his front door. Neither Kyūbi nor Hiromi even so much as twitch because of the sound. He creates a clone to investigate, intent on staying in bed as long as possible. After a minute or so, the clone creates another clone and that clone dispels, informing Naruto that the Hokage wishes to see him in his living room.

Naruto is bolt upright in an instant, waking his not too happy fiancés and forcing them up with him.

"**What's going on?" **Hiromi asks sleepily. Both she and Kyūbi are sitting up, 100% naked in bed.

"Ba-chan is here with a guest. Come on girls, get dressed."

Both girls grumble but comply and they both move to the shower. Naruto really wishes he could join them, but that wouldn't be a good idea. They would probably be in there the entire morning if not longer if he listens to his desires.

He quickly dresses for combat, complete with his mesh under-armor, Anbu mask (along with several backups), and lastly his armor, not bothering to change his armor into civilian clothing. He walks out with his sword strapped to his waist a kunai holster and a pack right above his butt.

He walks into the living room and sees Tsunade with an older man with long black hair and matching eyes.

"Shijimi- Daimyō!"

The man waves at him.

"Hello Namikaze-san! I'm just stopping by to say hello and to meet you. Your father and I were good friends."

"Oh," was the reply from Naruto. An awkward silence descends on the living room and the three of them just blink at each other.

"Uhem. Well, the Daimyō has another reason for being here. He has his samurai here along with his Guardians to aid us."

Naruto looks to the Daimyō, who is smirking. "You will find my Guardians to be quite helpful Namikaze-san. I assure you they are no pushovers."

Naruto suppresses a sigh. "I'm sure they are. Ba-chan, is there any new developments besides Mr. Confidence?"

Tsunade and Shijimi's jaws drop at the name. Nobody dared to disrespect the two most powerful people in Hi no Kuni. However their stupor is broken when laughter hits their ears. Hiromi and Kyūbi come out of the bedroom, both dressed in civilian clothing, their hair still wet. It apparently had been a _very _quick shower without him. They immediately wrap their arms around Naruto, making Shijimi raise a few eyebrows. He didn't miss the engagement ring on their hands.

"That was funny. Do you always give nicknames to people in power?" Kyūbi asks.

As Naruto and his fiancés talk quietly, Shijimi turns to Tsunade. "How is it that he has more than one fiancé? The law states that a man may only marry one." However, before Tsunade can answer, Naruto quickly talks over her.

"Ah, Mr. Confidence, that is because I activated the CRA last week. I can have no more than four and no less than three. This is Hiromi and this is Kyu." He wraps his arms around their waists and pulls them to him as he says their names, making them giggle and pressing their more than impressive busts into him.

Shijimi gets a nosebleed as he looks upon the two goddesses and that earns him a glare from the girls _and_ Naruto.

"Well, I believe I have overstayed my welcome. If you could call one of those Anbu thingies, I will take shelter in my bunker."

Tsunade sweatdrops at the Daimyō's term and snaps her finger. Neko appears in front of the Daimyō and escorts him out of the Namikaze estate. Though not before giving Naruto a polite bow as a Clan Head and a fellow Anbu.

As soon as he is out the door, Naruto finds himself on the ground, courtesy of a punch to the face. Naruto looks up and finds a fuming Tsunade over him, his girls looking the other way, whistling inconspicuously.

"And before you ask, you damn well know what that was for. I may tolerate your nickname but he is the fucking Daimyō! He could cut funds to the village and even remove me from office you dimwit! Next time you see him, I expect you to be respectful damn it! We have enough problems without you adding more!"

Naruto makes his way off the floor and dusts himself off. "Yeah yeah ba-chan."

"Seeing how you are ready, I will go over our plans and how we are going to protect the village."

**Time Skip – 5pm**

To say the atmosphere in the village is tense is like saying the desert is hot. People are on edge, almost tearing at each other's throats. Naruto sits in the shade at the western gate, waiting for any sign of attack. He is here because this gate is likely to be the one that gets attacked first. Kyūbi sitting next to him napping, her head on his shoulder. How she can sleep at a time like this he will never know.

That brings up Hiromi. She is back in the summon's realm waiting to be summoned along with a dozen other dragons. She wasn't happy about leaving again so soon but it is necessary and left with a minimum of complaining. However, she didn't leave without a ten minute snog/snuggle fest with her man.

People may not know it but dragons are one of the most versatile summons as they have more than a half dozen different types of dragons. There are your basic fire, water, lightning, and wind dragons. Then you have the special dragons: Heat (Fire + Wind), Ice (Water + Wind), and Steam (Water + Fire). And then there is Hiromi, strongest of the dragons because she has Storm (Wind + Water + Lighting). Having all three she can use just one element or a combination of all three.

A storm dragon is born only once every few centuries and is destined to become the next boss summons. They are always physically stronger and the largest of the dragons and they are always female, or they all have been so far.

Fū is with Jiraiya at the south gate while most of the Anbu and the Guardians are at the east gate, prepared for anything that might attack them from behind. Iwa is in the center of the village, waiting to be deployed wherever they are needed. Suna is at the North gate as Gaara, along with Temari and Kankuro, will be more than enough to dissuade enemies with his control of sand and his Jinchūriki status.

The samurai are stationed inside buildings just inside the gates in case the gates are compromised and the area is so small, the shinobi can't use Ninjutsu to its' potential. The Twelve Guardians are all stationed around the Hokage Tower, a 'last line of defense' if you will. However, Naruto doesn't even know where the Daimyō is at right now.

Tsunade shunshins next to Naruto, raising an eyebrow at Kyūbi's sleeping state, but a scowl mares her…youthful features. "I don't think they are going to show today. Assaulting a fortified target at night is just stupid and suicidal. Half the shinobi will move back into the city and then a third of them will go after that. Go home Naruto and get some rest."

Naruto wakes Kyūbi and helps her up. "You would think…"

"Lady Tsunade, our posts at the edges of all neighboring countries except Tea and Waves have been destroyed completely! Chūnin Squad 84, 65, and 82 all have the same story. The outposts were all attacked several days ago and nothing is left. No reports or evidence of how they got in, how many there were, or how our shinobi died as all the corpses were burnt as were most of the buildings."

Tsunade thinks for a second. "Very well. You are dismissed."

The Chūnin gives a low bow before he shunshins away.

"So there definitely an enemy presence in Hi no Kuni but we don't know if it is just Akatsuki or an army. They were very thorough and covered their tracks well which leads me to believe that they have an army. Why else take out an outpost when you can sneak in with just a few members?" Tsunade talks to herself more than Naruto.

"**To confuse. Oo**pps. Like I said, they want to confuse us. It wouldn't surprise me if they had both. It also has the added benefit that we are now blind and an attack can come from anywhere at any time, adding to the confusion," Kyūbi speaks up, temporarily forgetting they were not alone and not limiting her normal voice at first.

Tsunade nods as Kyūbi's logic is sound. "Well, I will think about it and it doesn't really change anything. You two go home and make sure Hiromi is informed. She is probably trying to rip her hair out right about now in tension."

Naruto nods before wrapping an arm around Kyūbi's waist and shunshins to the Namikaze estate.

**Time Skip – 2 Days**

The people and shinobi are starting to lose faith. It has been three days since Akatsuki was supposed to invade but not a single sight of an enemy is wearing down the nerves of everyone, even Jiraiya. It got so bad that Tsunade had to personally break up a fight between several Jōnin at a local bar that almost erupted into a full blown riot throughout the city. Battle has to come and soon before the Leaf destroys itself.

**Unknown Location**

Ten people in black cloaks slowly move under the ground, using the Doton: Dochū Senkō (Earth Release: Underground Submarine Voyage). The figures close to the wall and stop directly under it. One of the ten moves to the side and appears just above ground. He looks up to an Anbu who gives him the thumbs up before turning around and ignoring the man.

Said man disappears back under the ground and clicks his mike. "Operation is a go."

The ten figures spread out along a half mile long section of the wall and all begin to spin. As they gain speed, they start to bore into the extremely thick wall. They find it much more difficult that it should have been but they are making progress.

The Anbu squad on guard feels the ten spikes but ignores it…as per orders.

Within minutes, ten foot high tubes inside the walls are hollowed out and they begin their real plan.

**Time Skip – 7am**

**BOOOOOM!**

The entire village is woken from their sleep by en enormous explosion along the southwest wall. Alarms and sirens blare, forcing many from their sleep and hastily dress. Most, but not all. One Namikaze Naruto and Kyūbi no Yoko race from the western gate to the breach in the walls just as swarms of ninja pour through the gap…into the residential area of Konoha.

Screams of panic and terror reach the ears of many shinobi who had the early watch race to the scene of battle.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

A large puff of smoke and twenty toads appear and start to battle the ninja. Naruto looks to Jiraiya who is panting slightly.

"What? Summoning that many toads at once take about two and a half times the amount it takes for Gamabunta."

"Save it! We have a fight to deal with," Naruto shouts at the man as more ninja pour into the gap in the wall.

Naruto rushes into the battle to aid the toads, drawing his katana while Kyūbi lengthens her nails. The two become a whirlwind of death, sparing no one. In five minutes the breach in the walls is contained and fifty shinobi lay dead on the ground.

Naruto picks up one of the head bands and tosses it to Jiraiya who has a stunned look on his face.

"Kiri? Why would Kiri attack us?"

Naruto shrugs and tosses Jiraiya two more bands, one for Kusa and the other for Ame.

"I don't know what is going on but…"

A siren goes off at the western gate. Apparently, enemies have been sighted there.

"Go, I'll investigate and inform Tsunade," Jiraiya orders.

Naruto nods and runs off with Kyūbi on his heels. Naruto arrives at the eastern gate to Konoha shinobi firing jutsu after jutsu into the waves of enemy shinobi. But the Iwa shinobi were just standing there.

'Odd.'

Just then a signal flare shoots through the trees surrounding Konoha and into the air. Then all hell breaks loose.

The Iwa shinobi turn on them. What was once an unconquerable fortress is now in chaos. And there are a _thousand_ Iwa shinobi inside the gates of Konoha.

'Bastards! They teamed up with Akatsuki just for revenge. Idiots may have just killed us all!'

Naruto gives Kyūbi a nod and she gleefully jumps into the waves of oncoming shinobi just outside the gates, hell-bent on keeping them away from the gates. Naruto nicks his thumb and summons Hiromi in full dragon form.

"Sorry Hiromi, it seems Iwa pulled a fast one on us. I need you to go back to your summoning realm and tell your warriors about taking out any Iwa they see. I'll summon you in thirty seconds.

"**Hai, Naru-kun,"** she says softly after a quick ear rub by Naruto.

Hiromi dispels and Naruto counts to twenty and summons her again. Funny thing is, he stayed in the air, much to the confusion of the shinobi around him. He appears on top of Hiromi but she isn't alone. Fifteen other dragons appear and take off into the sky to defend the village of Konoha. Naruto then summons four messenger dragons.

"Tell the other gates that Iwa has betrayed us and to kill any Iwa on sight. You," he points to one. "Go to the Hokage and inform her that the eastern gate has been engaged by enemy shinobi and Kyu and I are holding it. Also informer her about Iwa if she already isn't aware of it. Go!"

The four dragons take off. Naruto turns back to Hiromi.

"Go and have some fun."

"**Hai, Naruto-kun."**

Naruto hops off her head and joins Kyūbi down in front of the gate. Kyūbi is completely drenched in blood. Not a single part of her is dry. All around her, bodies lay eviscerated and in pieces.

"Having fun, beni- kisaki (Crimson Queen)?"

Kyūbi turns to see her lover standing on a particularly large pile of body parts.

"**Oh you have no idea how turned on I am right now. If I could, I would take you right now."**

Naruto chuckles and despite the blood, wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her close.

"There is always time for that later, koibito (lover)."

Suddenly the two break apart as a large blade made of lave comes down right between the two. Naruto and Kyūbi look to see two men standing a few hundred feet away. One is a large man in red samurai armor and another looks to be an old man with red hair and matching beard and mustache.

"Look what we have here, Han. Two people want to play hero," the older man says.

The taller man just nods but doesn't talk but steam starts to build on the back of the pack he is wearing. The older man has red hair and matching full beard and mustache, making him look like a tomato.

Kyūbi then feels something stir within the two opponents.

"**Naruto, they are Jinchūriki! I thought you said Iwa's Jinchūriki had gotten captured already?"**

Naruto narrows his eyes. "I did. Apparently they fooled us so they wouldn't suspect an attack from the inside."

Kyūbi looks enraged. **"You assholes realize that Akatsuki will just come like vultures circling us, waiting until we are at our weakest to strike? We should be fighting Akatsuki, not each other,"** she roars at them.

The man with red hair, just like Kyūbi's but darker, just shrugs.

"It doesn't matter whether we die at your hands or Akatsuki's. We die when we die. Until then, we are tools to be used by our villages. So shut your mouth and fight."

The man known as Roshi rushes forward while the samurai launches into the air, via the steam pack.

**North Gate**

Gaara and the Sand ninja quickly deal with the traitorous Iwa ninja and turn their attention to the incoming ninja. Gaara's gourd turns to sand, unleashing his main weapon. He directs the sand along the ground and when the enemy steps in it, it wraps around their feet and ankles and crushes them, making them easy targets for the defenders.

However, the enemy does have a few tricks up its' sleeve.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa!**" (Water Release: Violent Water Wave!)

Dozens of streams shoot out from the tree line and soak Gaara's sand, making it relatively useless. The shinobi then burst out, again, of the tree line and make a beeline for the gates.

"Temari!"

Said Jōnin unfurls her war fan and channels her chakra.

"**Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!**" (Great Sickle Weasel Technique!)

Temari then swings her massive fan at the incoming shinobi and cuts them to ribbons as the strong winds descends upon the awaiting shinobi.

She and a few other Jōnin fire wind jutsu after wind jutsu into the army of shinobi approaching the gates. Suddenly a massive stream of fire comes from above them and into the wind, making it far more deadly than before. They all look up to see a pale blue dragon pouring large amounts of fire into the wind.

When the dragon stops its attack, it lands behind the gate and stands taller than the gate.

"**Greatings. My name is Hitomi and I am a summons of the Anbu Owl. I am here to provide assistance."**

Gaara and the other shinobi all make it a point to say thanks to his Owl Anbu later. When they look back to the forest, they find it quite charred. The wind enhanced fire apparently had spread a few hundred feet into the forest on top of the two hundred feet of clearing between the forest and the walls.

However, the gate they are standing on just so happens to explode, shooting massive amounts of rock and shinobi in all direction. Hitomi catches as many as she can, but quite a few still fall to their deaths after being shots a few dozen feet into the air then falling the combined height of the wall and explosion.

Hitomi looks around and sees similar explosions go off in three other directions of the village. The village is now breached.

**West Gate**

"**Yōton:** **Yo gan no Kanketsusen!**" (Lava Release: Geyser of Lava!)

Roshi slams his hands into the ground and a large column of lava bursts from the ground, directly beneath Kyūbi. However, he is hit from behind as Kyūbi presses her advantage of getting behind him.

Just then a massive explosion goes off and destroys the East Gate, killing everyone on top of it and right beside it. Kyūbi and Roshi have to dodge the door as it flies through the air and smashes into the forest, leveling a good dozen trees in the process.

Naruto and Kyūbi watch in horror as waves of enemy shinobi, all with Iwa headbands, rush into the village.

Through his distraction costs him as the armored samurai hits him square in the face with a jaw breaking, steam enhanced kick. Naruto's mask shatters upon impact and his hood is thrown back but his mask takes most of the damage, allowing Naruto to recover and dodge the next strike.

For the first time in years, Naruto's face is exposed in public. The samurai stops, stunned at what he sees.

"Looks like my secret is out. I don't have time to play with you! **Banshō Ten'in**!"

The samurai is suddenly pulled towards Naruto and curls himself into a ball to prevent as much damage to himself as possible.

However, He stops just before he reaches Naruto, making him curious. He unfurls himself a little bit and he eyes widen.

Naruto's hands are covered in water. Not like the Watercutting Sword. No, his entire hand is literally covered in a glob of water that is staying on his hand instead of falling to the ground.

"**Suiton: ****Mizu no Tsuin Nakami!**" (Water Release: Twin Blades of Water!)

With Han suspended in the air, he has no chance of getting away. The bulges of water suddenly elongate and piece his armor, chest, and bones. He then plunges the swords into the joint of his arm and torso and wrenches the swords, making a popping noise as both shoulders become dislocated. Then Naruto makes the water swords spew water into the wound, filling the gap between the ball and socket. _Then_ Han finds the water _frozen_ inside the joint, making it very painful and impossible to fix his dislocated arms without professional treatment.

He then does the same with Han's legs, making the Jinchūriki convulse in pain. Naruto begins to wonder if the man's vocal cords have been removed as he doesn't even let out a whimper.

However, there is still one other thing Naruto has to deal with before Han is completely out of the game. Naruto's fingers glow purple before he slams his hand into the samurai's stomach.

"**Gogyō Fūin!**" (Five Elements Seal!)

Han's eyes bulge as he is cut off from his Bijū and combined with having his tendons but, he is out of the game.

Meanwhile, Roshi looks over at Han getting beaten badly by the now revealed blond and he prepares to help out his old friend when Kyūbi intercepts him.

"**Your fight is with me!"**

She kicks Roshi in the chest, making him fly back into a tree. Before he can even move, Kyūbi is on him. However, decades of training and experience prove to be his savior as his instincts and reflexes move him out of the way as Kyūbi comes down with a Lava Sword.

Roshi's eyes widen as he sees the sword, an exact replica of his own.

"How can you perform Lava Release?" he asks.

Kyūbi smirks. **"Why don't you ask your Bijū and find out!"**

She rushes him, her Lava Sword cutting through anything and everything. Roshi is hard pressed to dodge all her strikes but things get dicer when Kyūbi adds a Lava Sword on her other hand. Strikes that were once nowhere near hitting him now only miss by centimeters.

"I think it is time I level the playing field. **Yoton: Kazangan no Tsurugi!**" (Lava Release: Sword of Lava!)

Two blades made of Lava, one for each hand, make contact with Kyūbi's own. They battle for superiority when suddenly Roshi's eyes roll to the back of his head and he falls forward, his swords now a smoldering puddle on the ground as the chakra keeping its' shape is no longer there.

Kyūbi glares at Naruto. **"Why did you interfere? I was having fun!"**

Naruto in an instant is in front of her. "I know but we don't have time for that. Iwa ninja are already pouring into the village. We have to stop them before the village is overtaken. I'll take these two to a safe location and you can have more fun with these Iwa ninja."

Kyūbi pouts but knows he is right. **"Fine but these weaklings are not as much fun as him."**

Naruto briefly kisses Kyūbi before looking into her eyes. "But _we _can have more fun later tonight, ne?"

Before Kyūbi can answer Naruto shunshins away to the Hokage tower with Roshi and Han in tow. Kyūbi licks her lips, tasting Naruto's residual…well taste.

"**You had better not be pulling my tails or I **_**will**_** hunt you down and make you fulfill your promise."** sigh **"I guess I better get started. The sooner I get done, the sooner Naru-kun and I can start."**

**Hokage Tower**

Naruto shunshins in with Tsunade surrounded by her military advisors. Shikamaru, Shikaku, Homura, and a few other rising stars. They all look to see someone shunshin into the tower with two charges.

"Naruto…what are you doing here?"

Naruto looks to see more than half the room staring at him. Suddenly it clicks and feels his face. Luckily, his long bangs cover most of his eyes, shielding them from view…mostly.

"Oh shit."

He turns around and unseals one of his backup masks and puts it on and adjusts his hood before turning around to face everyone. Their eyes get bigger.

Unfortunately there isn't time to answer questions.

"Owl, report!"

"Hai! Kyu is still at the Western Gate, stemming the stream of Iwa ninja into the village. The gate is gone, blown up from underneath. I have with me, Iwa's Jinchūriki, who was reported taken by Akatsuki and dead but that is now false and it seems we have been deceived. I have summoned a dozen or so dragons to aid us."

Tsunade nods.

"Have you heard from Kumo?" he asks.

Tsunade shakes her head. "I'm beginning to think they aren't coming. But right now, we have bigger problems than Kumo. We have retrieved headbands from half a dozen hidden villages and it keeps climbing. So far, there have been Kiri, Iwa, Kusa, Ame, Kumo, Oto, and Tani (from Tanigakure no Sato which is Village Hidden in Valleys in River Country).

"We also have fighting inside the village from Iwa ninjas that were supposed to aid us. Luckily the Jōnin and Chūnin engaged them minutes after they betrayed us, limiting the damage. Right now, I have all reserve Anbu fighting the Iwa shinobi inside the village, the West Gate is being held by Kyu and the Boss Dragon Summons. The North Gate is being assaulted by Oto shinobi, but Gaara and the others are dealing with them. The South Gate is being assaulted by the smaller Ninja villages while the west gate is silent.

"I'll be sending the Anbu at the West gate to deal with the Iwa ninja in the village and after they are dealt with, they can assist the other gates. However, the two Jinchūriki are to be locked in the prison with no less than ten Anbu or Jōnin. I'm not sure what the hell has gotten into Iwa but this is a giant flashing light to Akatsuki that now would be a good time to attack. Four of their targets in one place and possibly another two? Too big of an opportunity to waste."

Naruto and the others nod but an odd thought reaches into Naruto's head.

"Hokage-sama…why would the smaller villages help? I can see Iwa and Oto but what would Kiri, Kusa, Ame, and Tani have to gain with this?"

"I can answer one of those," comes a voice behind them all.

Jiraiya stands there, hassled and ragged but none worse for wear.

"Amegakure no Sato is home and headquarters to Akatsuki. With…the strongest openly declaring war on Akatsuki, they might be willing to forge an alliance to get the largest roadblock out of their path before it becomes a problem."

"But what of the others? What do the smaller nations and even Kiri have to gain from this?" Naruto asks.

Tsunade and Jiraiya strike a thinking pose. "Well Kiri could want revenge, assuming they found your excursion was a hoax, but with them being in a civil war right now but that would be a grave error just to rectify some ill gotten sense of justice."

"So that leaves Kusa and Tani. But one other thing has me thinking. If Akatsuki's base is in Ame and Ame shinobi are here then why isn't the members of Akatsuki here as well?"

Nobody could answer that.

"Forgive me for intruding but I have a possible solution to this conundrum," Shikaku interjects. When he receives the go ahead from Tsunade he continues. "With Oto being involved, we cannot leave out the possibility that Orochimaru is involved. He could have coerced the other nations into this alliance to take down Konoha."

"That is possible. Our ex-teammate is surely capable of something like that. However, while that is a sound conclusion, I don't think that is correct. There is something off about the shinobi. They aren't using techniques that are native to each village. Kusa is using water and lightning and Kiri using wind, Tani using earth as well. While they could have shinobi with those abilities, I have not seen a single Kusa use a grass technique. And the grass is plenty around here."

"Then we must choose the option that fits the most, in that they are masquerading as ninja from different villages to confuse us."

Several of the Jōnin burst into outraged screams until Tsunade shouts for order.

"When the impossible is eliminated, the rest must be true no matter how improbable it sounds," Shikaku says with wisdom. The room goes silent and looks at him weirdly.

"What? Can't a guy watch Star Trek without getting labeled a geek?" he asks emphatically.

"Moving on…So this whole thing may have been cooked up by Iwa and Oto. Brilliant plan but not good enough. We must…"

Just then a Chūnin bursts into the room.

"Tsunade-sama! Orochimaru along with Uchiha Sasuke and several snake summons have been spotted at the North Gate! Kazekage-sama requests immediate assistance!"

"I'll go," Jiraiya says and starts to move.

"Jiraiya, wait. I'll go. I need you and the other Jōnin to secure the other gates. Create earth walls if you have to but seal the village. We cannot let more of them enter. Owl, report back to the East gate after you secure your prisoners in the prison. Be alert as Akatsuki may learn of our weakness and attack."

Naruto solutes crisply before disappearing in a shunshin with the two knocked out Jinchūriki.

"I hope you know what you are doing Tsunade. We can't afford to replace the Hokage right now," Jiraiya says softly before he too disappears.

"So do I," she mutters to herself before donning her combat gear.

**South Gate**

Fū decapitates yet another Tani shinobi with her Watercutting Swords. The pile of body parts is ever growing but even with her high stamina, this is getting absurd. Her arms are starting to grow heavy and her chakra is running out.

She accesses her Bijū's yoki and uses it to reenergize her own reserves but that is the last time she can. Her system is too flooded with yoki and it is beginning to show. Burns on her skin and organs are taking their toll and show and she begins to slow down.

Add to that, Jiraiya had left, making all the attention on her. The few Anbu that she had are dead and she is the only thing standing in the way of Kusa, Tani, and Ame soldiers from entering the village.

She narrowly dodges an earth jutsu that would have impaled her in a spike.

"That's it! I've had enough of you fuckers! **Suiton: Bakusui Shōha!**" (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!)

A colossal amount of water explodes from her mouth and sweeps across the battlefield in a twenty foot high wave, enveloping a large number of opposing ninja. Those with enough time (i.e. the ones in the back) string together hand seals.

"**Doton: Doryūheki!**" (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!)

A large wall of earth moves in the shape of an arrow and taller, if barely, than the massive approaching wave. The shinobi not maintaining the wall use their chakra to reinforce the wall, knowing that if it breaks through then they are gone.

The wave approaches and hits with a solid impact, spilling water over the top of the wall and washing away some of the shinobi behind it but the wall holds, forcing the water around the large group of multinational shinobi.

But Fū isn't done. She has had time to finish another series of hand seals for a jutsu designed to pulverize instead of drown.

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!**" (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!)

From the residual water forms not one but five water dragons. Each of the dragons head for the earth barrier of the unsuspecting shinobi. They think she is out of chakra due to the sheer amount it takes to produce that much water, so they begin to lower the barrier, which sinks into mud, drenched from the previous attack.

One sees the dragons heading towards them and his eyes bulge.

"Raise the wall!"

But before anyone has time, the dragons are upon them. The first dragon demolishes whatever remains of the wall was left, splattering the ninja with tons of mud and water, making it impossible to get away from the next barrage. Dragons two through five then proceed to massacre the rest of the ninja, their defenses down and vulnerable.

Fū collapses to her knees. That had taken the very last of her chakra and now she is out of the game. Any more yoki and her system will overload and she might die.

She senses something and has to dodge a water whip, which leaves a five foot deep gash in the ground. She feels…she feels yoki coming from the direction the attack came from. From out of the brush comes a short, purple eyed man with a hook staff on his back. His face sports a scar from his left eye down his cheek and silver hair.

"Impressive that one would have such control over water and her Bijū. I am Yagura, Yondaime Mizukage of Kiri and keeper of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame (Three Tailed Giant Turtle). I am here to eradicate this stain of a village. I am sorry but I can't allow you to keep fighting. However, I am not without mercy. Join me and strengthen Kiri and there will be a spot for you."

Yagura pulls the hook staff of his back and prepares to charge should her answer be unsatisfactory.

Fū grits her teeth. Of all things, now she has to face a Kage when she is out of chakra and can't use the yoki she has. This will not end well.

"I'd rather die than join you and your 'buddies'. Don't you see that if Konoha is gone, then nothing will stand in the way of Akatsuki from getting our Bijū? It is in our best interest to stand united against the common threat."

Yagura shakes his head. "Then my apologies. I do not wish to do this to a fellow Jinchūriki but I have no wish to align myself to this _village_." He spits the last part out like it is a revulsion just to say the word.

He raises his hands and a heavy mist rolls behind him and out of said mist, hundreds of Kiri shinobi appear, making her eyes grow wide.

Fū curses under her breath and pulls out a ninjato and hopes someone comes to help her or she is going to die. She always has a metal sword with her but prefers to use her Watercutting Sword as it is sharper and can be manipulated in length, width, sharpness, and shape.

Fū charges the Kage, who bats the attack aside easily as his shinobi charge the South gate. Fū is put on the defensive by the masterful use of the hookstaff. She almost loses her head multiple times in several seconds due to those sharp hooks.

'Damn it! Where the hell is some backup?'

"Pathetic. I would have thought a Jinchūriki of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi would provide a bigger challenge," he taunts.

"Yeah well try challenging me when I'm not out of chakra or tired from fighting hundreds of other shinobi!"

Fū goes on the offensive, tired of nearly getting pushed around. Her ninjato flashes in grey blurs but Yugara is having no trouble keeping up. Then the smaller of his hooks pierces her hand through the back, making her drop the ninjato. She cries out in pain and falls to her knees, completely spent and out of energy.

That offensive maneuver was her last ditch attempt to come away with a win but she is too tired.

"Hmph. Maybe the Nine Tails Jinchūriki will provide me a better challenge," he says while smirking. He raises his hookstaff over his head and brings it down in a vertical swing, aiming right for her head.

Fū waits for it to end, she knows she doesn't stand a chance. All she can do is await her death with open arms.

'I guess the villagers get their wish after all. I…I wish I could have met him…just once. Met Uzumaki Naruto and see what makes him different.'

Yagura has a look of pure exhilaration on his face as the hook descends towards Fū's awaiting neck and head. His eyes dance in anticipation of seeing her blood spilled all over the ground and on his weapon.

But that is put to a stop when a hand catches his staff, making it stop just inches away from Fū.

"Y…you!"

**West Gate**

Kyūbi boredly takes another life. It has lost its' fun and now it is just repetitive and monotonous. Even she has lost count of how many she has killed.

Naruto then lands beside her and her mood instantly takes a 180.

"**Hi Naru-kun!"** she says happily and she slays her enemies with enthusiasm again.

"Hey Kyu-hime. It seems like this is just Iwa and Oto's doing. Maybe Kiri but the others are fakes to make us believe there are multiple smaller villages attacking us."

"Oh are they?" a voice comes, making both Kyūbi and Naruto look to the source.

An old man with a large red nose, completely bald, and the shortest ninja Naruto has ever seen.

"Ōnoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage. A pleasure to meet you but I'm not sure who you are," Naruto addresses the two in front of him.

"I am Shin, Sandaime Daishizenkage." The man is tall…super tall and skinny as a rail.

"Nature Shadow huh? You must be Kusa's Kage," Naruto appraises the man in front.

"Indeed you are correct boy. However, we are not here for niceties."

"Yes, _child_. We are here so Konoha can finally pay for their transgressions against us in the Third Shinobi War. So…prepare to have your lives taken," the old man says while he forms a ball of glowing charka in his hands.

"Let's start this off with a bang shall we? **Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!**" (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!)

**North Gate**

Tsunade is on her knees, crying.

"No…no…It can't be," she softly chants over and over again.

Standing in front of her, kunai in hand, is Dan. Her former lover, back from the dead due to Orochimaru's Edo Tensei. To Dan's side is Nawaki, her brother, looking no older than when he died all those years ago.

"It's true! You are a disgrace to the Hokage name! You should never have been chosen to carry on our dreams," Dan says coldly.

"No…no…no…"

"Just give in Sis. It was your fault for me dying anyways. I thought you would have been happy about my death."

"I…It wasn't my…"

"Of course it was! Have you gone senile too? You were the one who convinced me to become a ninja in the first place. You also convinced that retarded monkey to put me on Orochimaru's Genin team. So don't go and say you're blameless as it is all your fault!"

"I…I…no…this can't be happening."

"It can and has. You are a disgrace to the Senju and I am ashamed to even have considered you worthy to be my wife. So just die!" Dan shouts as a kunai plunges down to make the final killing strike that would end her reign as Hokage.

* * *

End Chapter 7

AN: I know some of you think that Naruto is opening up too quickly but I need it to go quickly. It is important to the story later on.

Also, the fight between the Iwa Jinchuriki was supposed to be a lot longer and the highlight of the attack, but I felt that an invasion this big deserved something better...like three Kages (including Orochimaru) and six Jinchuriki.

xx

Now...time for the poll. And the winner is...

I'm not telling. I'll save it for later when it actually happens, that way it is a surprise.

xx

Once again, sorry for the long update. This chapter was a bitch to write as I had to come up with plot twists, fighting sequences that make sense.

Hope you like the chapter.

tomhunt98


	8. Chapter 8: God of War

**Chapter 8: The God of War**

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, waves roll lazily on the banks of a lake. On the beach are people relaxing, playing in the water, enjoying a picnic, sunbathing, or cuddling with loved ones. The serine scene is peaceful and tranquil, something right out of a fairy tale.

But that isn't what Konoha looks like now. It may have a lake, but that lake is red from the hundreds of bodies that now lay dead or dying from eight different countries. The bodies are piled high by the hundreds, limbs are severed by the thousands, and blood is spilled by the gallon.

The kunai descends, the Edo Tense Dan hoping to end Tsunade's existence without a fight. Tsunade, on all fours with tears gushing out of her eyes, can only wallow in despair as her loved ones tear her down to absolute nothingness.

The kunai is mere centimeters away when an iron hold on the wrist stops it.

"Madame Hokage, now is not the time to be wallowing. Your village needs you so get the fuck up and fight!"

Tsunade blinks through her tears and sees a heavily tanned man with seven swords holding the wrist of the struggling Dan.

"Killer Bee at your service," he says with a flashy grin.

Despite her age, she finds herself blushing at the man's extremely muscular body somewhat handsome features.

Then Nawaki tries to kill Tsunade, but Bee bats the kid down with a back fist to the face with his free hand.

Orochimaru hisses in annoyance and he and Sasuke appears directly in front of Bee and engages him. He cancels the Edo Tensei as it costs too much chakra to maintain on someone who doesn't have the skills to beat a Jinchūriki and a Kage.

"Sasuke, deal with Tsunade. I'll handle the Jinchūriki."

Sasuke growls in annoyance at getting the weaker opponent but Orochimaru is already gone and engaging Bee. He would have to settle with her; however, it would be satisfying to see the life leave her eyes. He knows how much Naruto cares for her. The only thing better would be the dobe to see him kill her. He draws his sword and prepares to attack.

Tsunade shakes herself mentally, gaining control over herself. The blush goes away and she stands. She squares her shoulders and prepares to fight for her village, thanks to Bee's oh so inspiring speech. She turns to Sasuke and sees that he is ready for combat and scoffs. "You think you can take a Sannin? What lies has that pedo been feeding you?"

"I have grown strong…and you are a stepping stone to my revenge!"

Sasuke charges up his Chidori Nagashi and rushes Tsunade. She dodges the first strike but gets caught with a minor burst of lightning, causing her speed to fall for just a second. But that is all Sasuke needs.

"**Chidori Senbon!**"

Thousands of very sharp, very electrical senbon shoot towards Tsunade. She has a tough time dodging most of them since Sasuke's Sharingan is helping him predict where she will go next. She manages to not get hit by most, but still has many shallow holes in her body.

"That's it! No more kiddy play! **Ōkashō!**" (Cherry Blossom Impact!)

Tsunade strikes the ground with ferocious strength, tearing up the earth. Sasuke has to use chakra to stay up right, but the piece of rock he is sticking to overturns, making Sasuke go with it.

Tsunade moves so fast to end it she might as well be flying towards the downed Sasuke. Just as she gets there, Orochimaru flashes in front of her. His skin is pale…er than usual. It looks like he has used his body shedding technique a few times.

"Sorry, but I can't have you killing my apprentice," he says with a smirk.

Bee lands next to her, seven swords out and somehow managing to hold them all.

Sasuke gets back to his feet and wipes the dirt off.

"I do not need your help."

Orochimaru hisses at Sasuke's inflated ego, which he is partly responsible for. He runs through hand signs and slams his hand on the ground.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

In a puff, the huge form of the purple Manda appears. He looks at the gob smacked faces of the Hokage and to Bee then back to Orochimaru.

"**So this is the glorious feast you promised me? I accept your offering. However, this does not get you in my good graces, only the right to retain the snake contract."**

Manda coils and leaps at his meals, that being Tsunade and Bee…only for a leg to slam down on his face and force onto the ground. The powder-blue leg then smashes his head over and over again. Manda smacks the being away with his tail and lifts his head before his head is crushed.

"**You! I thought I killed you,"** he hisses at the dragon.

"**You almost succeeded. But this time the result will be different!"**

Hitomi throws fire at Manda who burrows underground to get away from the flames. To counter this, Hitomi takes to the air. She knows that she isn't as maneuverable on the ground with her large bulk. She circles the area, waiting for Manda to strike.

On her fourth pass, Manda bursts from the ground, fangs extended. Hitomi sees and hears him coming. She uses her massive tail to literally swat him from the air. Manda hits the ground hard but slithers away to avoid a blast of fire from Hitomi.

"**Stop running you snake and face me!"**

Hitomi continues to blaze the forest, trying to hit Manda. Despite his size, he is moving at incredible speeds, making it difficult for Hitomi to even keep up. She chases him for a good mile, leaving behind a trail of fire.

Suddenly Manda makes U-turn and lunges for Hitomi who had been flying low. Hitomi manages to avoid his fangs, but his body grabs hold of her and drags her to the ground. Trees are uprooted, snapped and bowled over as the two massive creatures fight for supremacy.

Manda coils his lower body around her leg and takes off, dragging her along the ground. He makes sure to take sharp turns or go over any large rock formations to do extra damage. On one rock, she lands wrong and breaks a wing with a *snap*. She roars with pain and decides enough is enough.

Making use of her bulk, she digs her limbs that Manda doesn't have and digs them deep into the ground, leaving thirty foot deep trenches. Manda slows considerably and eventually, the extra effort required to drag the dragon tires him out. He lets go of her leg and quickly makes a strike at her, trying to end this quickly.

Unfortunately for him, Hitomi thought he would do so. As he lunges, fangs extended, he is met with the hottest flames Hitomi can make. Fire rushes down his open throat, cooking the flesh. Manda writhes with pain. He can feel his insides literally cooking inside his body as the head has nowhere to go. His mouth is open, trying to let out as much heat as possible.

Meanwhile, Hitomi is pulling herself out of the trenches she created. Her left wing hangs as an angle that shouldn't be possible and hurts a lot. But she pushes through the pain and walks up to Manda's figure on the ground, her wing dragging on the ground. In a flash, she cleaves a chuck of flesh off of Manda, making him flail around in pain, but she holds him in place with her legs.

Just before she can finish the job by cooking him through and through, Manda decides he has had enough. He vows to himself that Orochimaru will be dead by the end of the day and dispels himself back to his realm taking with him Orochimaru's summoning contract and all the summons on the field.

Hitomi lets out a mighty roar of triumph and takes the hunk of Manda flesh into her mouth and dispels back to the dragon village. She has a wing to get healed and a wallet to make Hiromi.

**South Gate**

"Yo…you!"

A flash of red hair and the hookstaff is repulsed. Fū looks up to see her savior. Long auburn hair, blue dress, green eyes. Fū looks up at Mei Terumi from her kneeled position on the ground.

"Look at yourself Yagura. Picking on the tired and the weak. And here I thought you were a true Kage…wait that isn't right. You abandoned Kiri just to have your revenge when you realized that the envoy was a fake."

Yagura's face goes red with fury. "So you did defect to those traitors. I had a feeling those leaf shinobi were lying to me. Tell me, why did you leave?"

Mei's eyebrow raises. "You seriously think that I would stay? I hated killing my own kind. I hated every bit of your tyrannical rule, killing the bloodline users because you think they are evil and the cause of war. The only reason I stayed as long as I did was I was afraid, but I got the courage to do the right thing.

"Did you even realize that the bloodline clans made up for more than half of the population of Kiri? Do you know how much you have weakened our village?"

"Quite wench! You have no right to speak to me that way. I fed you, trained you. I turned a blind eye and for what? For you to go and betray me? Did you ever ask yourself why I kept you alive?"

Mei shrugs. "I didn't spend too much time on it. I merely assumed that it amused you to no end that a bloodline user was killing her own kind."

"Did you ever not even consider that I loved you?" he says quietly.

Mei's face goes ridged in shock. Him…love her? The very person who ordered the death of her parents, who were killed right in front of her. The parents that were trying to protect her from him! Rage boils over her and some kind of mist starts to roll off her.

"Fū-san. Please get out of here. You are in no shape to fight. Plus my jutsu can be pretty widespread."

Fū doesn't need to be told twice. She takes off into the village just as Jiraiya arrives.

"What's going on?" he asks Fū.

Said woman shrugs. "Some lovers' quarrel. I don't really care as it buys us time."

Jiraiya nods and takes one look at the buxom, but pissed kunoichi. His blood starts to travel south but he smacks himself. He has a job to do.

"Right. On three. Three! **Doton: Doryūheki!**" (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!)

The five Anbu plus Jiraiya seal up the gaping hole in the wall. They pack it in, making it as dense as they can make it.

"**Katon: Dai Endan!**" (Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet!)

Jiraiya coats the wet mud with an intense flame, baking it and hardening it. Soon, the wall is clay, making it sturdy enough to act as a wall.

With his job here complete, he and the other Anbu make their way to the other gates.

Back with Mei, acidic smog continues to roll off her. Her eyes shine with barely restrained rage.

"You have the audacity to say you love me? You ordered the death of my parents! They died right in front of me, an eight year old girl!

"I will never return that so-called 'love' of yours. You don't know the first thing about me! **Futton: Fushoku no Sagiridan!**" (Boil Release: Fog Bullet of Corrosion!)

Wisps of fog lazily float towards Yagura. He huffs and sidesteps the clouds.

"Did you actually think I would just sit there and let that touch me?"

Mei smirks.

"No. I expected you to be an idiot. Look around you!"

He does and finds himself completely surrounded by the balls of fog.

"You were arrogant and fell right into my trap. **Hakkei!**" (Release!)

The fog pulses slightly before losing cohesion just a tiny bit…then explodes outward. The fog is so dense that Mei can't see through it but she can hear the screams. The shinobi that Yagura brought are being dissolved as she thinks.

Suddenly a large wave of yoki spikes. A large amount of water rushes outward from Yagura, bringing down the fog. Mei catches sight of Yagura, completely healthy but covered in a yoki cloak.

"**You…you…"** and Yagura completely loses it.

Yagura disappears and Mei dodges a strike from a chakra tail. She rolls on the ground and blocks a strike from his hands, having completely ditched the hookstaff. His yoki cloak, however, burns her. She grits her teeth to keep from grunting in pain.

Mei wisely backs off, giving space to do something other than almost getting killed.

"**Yōton: Dai ****Kazangandan!**" (Lava Release: Great Lava Bullet!)

Enormous globs of 1500 F lava blast towards Yagura. Unfortunately, a cascade of water forms in front of the target, blocking the attack. Mei scowls and goes through more hand seals.

"**Yōton: Kazangan no Kanketsusen!**" (Lava Release: Geyser of Lava!)

This time, a large column of lava shoots up from the ground, right under Yagura. He lets out a growl as his yoki cloak fights with the superheated substance. But the yoki cloak wins when Yagura plunges his tails into the ground and pumps it full of water, cooling down the substance.

Mei curses. She had been counting on her lava being able to get through the yoki shield. But she has an idea. If he can block a geyser…

Unfortunately, he doesn't allow her any more time. He shoots several highly pressurized blasts of water, in upwards of several thousand psi, at her. She dodges a few then puts up an earth wall to block the rest while she goes about her plan.

She starts going through a large number of hand seals, but she is pressed for time. The earth wall begins to crack and too soon the wall fails. The feral Yagura looks to see Mei gone.

Mei, from underneath the ground, had performed a quick jutsu that pulls her under the ground, never stopping the long chain of hand seals. It took all she had to perform the jutsu while concentrating for another one. She cringes as she feels the earth shake from torrents of water descending on her position. It seems that Bijū can detect chakra signatures.

She speeds up her seals now in a race to see if she can finish first before the water gets to her.

'Five more…three more… one more!'

The top of the ground hiding her is blasted away, soaking her. She looks up to see Yagura with his tails poised to impale her. But she jumps away at the last moment and completes the last one.

"**Yōton: ****Umarekawari Kubochi no ****Dai ****Gansho**!**" **(Lava Release: Great Magma Pit of Rebirth!)

The ground opens up and beneath Yagura is a pit of pure magma, a full thousand degrees hotter than lava. Yagura can't do a thing as he plummets into the pit. Mei hears the shrieks of pain as Yagura hits the super liquid. Mei then closes the top of the pit with a thick layer of earth. She plans of keeping the jutsu active for a good ten minutes to make sure that he is dead.

She lays down against the remains of an earth wall from Fu's battle and breaths hard. That jutsu is her strongest and takes the most chakra to do, half of her reserves to be precise. She closes her eyes and tries to regain her breath even as she feels her chakra draining which is keeping the jutsu active.

Her eyes are not closed for more than two minutes when the earth erupts in an enormous wave of water. Said green eyes go wide as she sees a hand appear, then another. In no time, Yagura pulls himself up out of the pit. His clothes are gone, melted away. A heavy blue hue surrounds him, his three tails swishing violently.

She cuts the jutsu but doesn't bother getting up, exhausted as she is.

'That is it…I can't win. That was my…'

Yagura lets out a primal yell and the seal on his chest glows brightly, blinding Mei. The seal keeps on getting brighter and brighter then suddenly fades. The cloak leaves his body and his slumps over.

A pale blue mist leaks from his body, which gathers outside his body. Mei's eyes again go wide. The mist swirls around itself and particle by particle, the mist solidifies and forms an enormous, three tailed, armored for war, turtle.

The Sanbi is free again.

But before she or the Bijū can do anything, the ground begins to rumble.

**West Gate**

Naruto and Kyūbi eye the two Kage.

"I'm guessing I can't convince you to call off the attack? You realize that Akatsuki will come for us containers and now that four of us are here, it will be too much of an opportunity to resist?"

Ōnoki snorts. "I could care less about the demons. All I care about it crushing the leaf until not even the roots are left!"

Naruto sighs. He looks to the side to the massive crater created by Ōnoki's Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique) which destroyed the dirt and the bodies. He had used the cone shape, exponentially expanding the destructive power of his jutsu over a shape like a square.

The Daishizenkage lazily goes through several hand seals. "Kusabana Ninpō: Hana Shurikan." (Flower Ninja Art: Flower Shurikan)

Several flowers from inside the man's robes float in the air as if resting on an air wave. Suddenly the petals go stiff and start spinning incredibly fast. They shoot off at Naruto and Kyūbi, who dodge them easily. However, they are forced to dodge again as they come back around, apparently being controlled by the Nature Shadow.

Kyūbi quickly has enough. She activates her magma swords and cuts through the flowers with ease, setting them on fire in the processes.

The Daishizenkage releases more flowers from his robe. "**Kusabana Ninpō: Yugao Hanabira no Mau!**" (Flower Ninja Art: Dance of the Moonflower Petals!)

Dozens of dark purple flower petals flow from the robe. These elegant petals on their own could be described as beautiful. They swirl in a complex pattern around the field, mesmerizing several Leaf shinobi.

Naruto quirks an eyebrow. The jutsu has to do something. Then he starts to feel it. A sick feeling coming up from his stomach. It grows rapidly to his arms and legs, making them heavy and full of lead. He drops to the ground in a heap, Kyūbi with him.

"Do you like my jutsu? The Moonflower is a very rare species of flora. It is so rare that it doesn't grow but in one part of Kusa no Kuni and only blooms once every five years. The petals emit a sort of toxin in the scent that paralyses the body and makes it heavy."

Ōnoki begins running through hand seals to finish the battle and move on to destroy the village.

Naruto looks to Kyūbi, completely unfazed by the explanation.

"Hey Kyu, how much heavier do you feel?"

A seemingly innocent question. Not so much if you can control gravity. She mulls back and forth for a second in no particular hurry. "Seventy six point three two kilograms." She gives Naruto a cheeky grin to which she can feel him raising an eyebrow at her.

"**Jinton: Fukabun Jikai!**" (Dust Release: Atomic Disintegration!)

A cloud of dirt softly makes its way from Ōnoki's hands towards the downed Kyūbi and Naruto. He finds it odd that neither of them are worried or feel any need to move from a move that will kill them. But if they want to die, that isn't his problem.

The dirt gets within five feet when both Naruto and Kyūbi simply vanish. He cuts his jutsu and looks to his fellow Kage.

"Where did they go?"

The Nature Shadow is looking around for them. "I don't know. It was definitely them. I felt their chakra."

"I thought your jutsu paralyzed them!" Ōnoki snaps as they continue to look around.

"Cut the shit! You and I both know my jutsu worked on them," he fires back.

"Then how could they move? You must have done something wrong…"

"Or maybe you two don't know about our skills," comes a voice above them.

They both look up to see the woman in the man's lap with an enormous blush on her face while sitting on him sideways. Did I mention they are flying?

Both men gape. No one outside of the Tsuchikage line should know how to fly!

"How are you flying?" Ōnoki asks for obvious reasons.

"Relax. Konoha has not stolen Iwa secrets. We keep our treaties…unlike others," the Owl masked Anbu replies.

On his lap, Kyūbi has regained control of herself from the 'punishment' from Naruto for her answer to his question earlier.

She runs through hand seals, like Naruto, and both take a deep breath in.

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!**" (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!)

"**Fūton: Ryujin no Daidaiteki Gufu!**" (Wind Release: Great Tornado of the Dragon God!)

While they don't need to make hand seals, unless they want to kill two Kage, it is best to keep up appearances.

Naruto, using his control of wind, creates an impossibility. Or naturally impossible. Naruto creates two very strong tornadoes right beside each other. That wasn't was is impossible. What is impossible is the fact that they are spinning the opposite direction from each other, creating impossibly strong crosswinds.

Poor Ōnoki who is in the air, gets sucked up in an instant while Shin puts up a fight and lasts…oh ten seconds before the winds get the best of him and add him to the maelstrom. Then the dragons hit.

Kyūbi's fire dragon splits into two, without decreasing the size of either mind you, and hits both tornadoes. The technique goes from deadly to devastating in seconds. Minutes fly by as the fire show continues. Truthfully, they are keeping the jutsu active to give their bodies time to recover from the toxin. While being demons, they can still be poisoned. It's just their bodies expel and metabolize the substance more quickly.

But Naruto and Kyūbi are far from unguarded. Their opponents aren't Kage level for nothing.

"**Doton: Chidōkaku!**" (Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!)

From beneath Naruto and Kyūbi, a very large section of earth starts to raise at a very fast pace. And standing on it is a slightly crispy Shin.

"**Kusabana Ninpō: Kakei Muchi!**" (Flower Ninja Art: Flower Stem Whip!)

From his robes, the lanky man pulls out a flower and suddenly, the stem of the flower lengthens by a factor of dozen. Before long, he has a forty-eight inch whip. He uncoils it and leaps at the blond and red head. He takes the whip and swings it at them, intending to take them back to the ground with him. He smirks as his whip succeeds in wrapping around his leg.

However, his smirk disappears when the whip goes taunt and he feels like his whip latched onto a beam on a building. He jerks as he hits the bottom of his jump and almost loses his grip on the whip's handle. He is severely confused as he is just hanging onto his whip while the man said whip is attached to just hovers, unmoving, in the air.

Just as he thinks it can't get any worse, he sees the red head look over the side at him. She gives him a smile and a wave before she makes a show of her just touching the whip and it bursts into flames. He watches in horror as the fire spreads down his whip, ever closer to his hands.

He looks down and his eyes go wide. He is at least a hundred feet in the air! He hadn't even noticed them climbing higher! Then the fire reaches his hands.

He screams in pain as he desperately tries to not let go but the pain is too much. His hands slip on the burnt flower and he falls. He screams as he descends to his death as not even a Kage with nothing to grab onto can survive a fall like that.

He falls eighty feet with the ground getting very, very dangerously close. Shin, screaming all the way, is mere feet away when Ōnoki comes out of nowhere and catches him. And by catches him, he more tackles him and slows his downward speed by quite a lot…at the cost of gaining more weight and horizontal speed.

They crash on the ground and roll for a good twenty feet before coming to a stop. Ōnoki blinks in pain, not able to move at all. He had hit squarely on his back, which was already precarious as it was. Now he had either thrown it out at the very least or completely shattered it at the worst.

For Shin, he had hit the ground on his chest. His ribs took the brunt of the fall, snapping and breaking them multiple times. Some of the fragments were shoved into his lungs, making it very difficult to breathe.

Naruto and Kyūbi land gently on the ground. Kyūbi whispers something in his ear and gives him the pupp…kit eyes. Naruto nods and she squeals in delight. She extends her finger nails into claws and stalks her way to Shin. Said man's eyes go wide and he tries to get away from her, but between his shattered ribs and lungs being punctured multiple times, he is going nowhere fast.

Kyūbi smashes her foot onto his ribcage, eliciting a shriek form the man.

She then struts over to Ōnoki who can't move his lower half at all. He tries to go through hand seals but Kyūbi's foot breaks both his hands. He yells in pain as his hands are useless. She smirks triumphantly and drags Ōnoki over to Shin who is trying to calm himself after that intense burst of pain. Ōnoki hits the ground hard and the wind is knocked out of him.

However, both are distracted from their injuries when Kyūbi's eyes start to glow. Fire circles her hands and not any ordinary fire. No, this fire is pitch black. Amateratsu, the flames of the sun goddess herself. She is a lower deity than the four creators of the universe, created by Kratos himself to serve him. And since Kyūbi is from the Jūbi, made from Kratos' flesh, she has access to the destructive flames.

Kyūbi places her hands on the chests of the two Kage. They scream as the flames spread across their bodies. Soon, their entire bodies are covered with the inextinguishable flames.

As the Kage's bodies literally melt, their eyes are wide open, watching the smirk of Kyūbi as the gleefully listens to their screams. As the light fades from their eyes, they only regret not treating like a real threat to begin with. They close their eyes for the last time as the flames consumes the last of their bodies.

Only for their eyes to flash open and see the sky. Shi's hands roam his body, feeling his cool robes while Ōnoki takes a more mental stock of himself. Before long, both are standing and looking at each other.

"Was it all a dream?"

"No it wasn't."

They both look to see the Owl Anbu and the woman sitting on his lap.

Shi looks confused but Ōnoki gets it.

"Genjutsu. But when?"

"Right after we disappeared from sight after Shi paralyzed us. Kyu here is quite the Genjutsu caster…which is weird if you know her at all."

Ōnoki and Shin share a look and get ready to fight again. But then feel a massive weight on their shoulders.

"Oh no. I'm not letting you get any more chances to fight. The only reason you didn't wake up in jail cell is because we were waiting for the paralytic to wear off. Now that it has…" Owl says as he gets to his feet as Kyūbi pouts because she is forced to get off his lap.

However…before Naruto can seal their chakra with a seal and take them into custody the ground begins to rumble.

A large cloud of dust explodes into the air about a mile from Konoha. What comes out of the cloud makes Kyūbi pale.

"**No…no no nonononononono!"**

Naruto uses his Rinnegan to enhance his vision and see what she does.

It is mammoth in size. Four legs, each the width and twice the height of the Hokage Tower. on its face are two very, _very_ large tusks that looks like each one can take out a mountain. Its back is covered by a very tough looking, triangular shell. On its long neck are rows of razor sharp metal spikes finish the look. (Think of a cross between an AT-AT from Star Wars, an elephant, and a turtle. The overall shape of the AT-AT, the shell of a turtle, and the tusks and feet of an elephant. For more go to http:/finalfantasy(dot)wikia(dot)com/wiki/Long_Gui)

It towers over the village, and a tusk is easily forty feet long. When they step, the earth trembles and shakes. Their bellows shake the buildings in the village and uproot trees in the surrounding forest.

Oh, did I mention there are fifteen of theses colossal creatures?

On the ground moving slightly faster are seven foot tall 'men' if they could be called that. They have the general outline of humans but their entire bodies are covered in a crystal-like substance. Their arms have large crystal formations on them, giving them a grotesque appearance, no two the same. (For more, go to http:/finalfantasy(dot)wikia(dot)com/wiki/Sacrifice_%28Final_Fantasy_XIII%29)

Hundreds. Hundreds of these creatures are marching beside the goliath beasts.

Then the air is filled with thousands of bird like monsters. Each wing looks like the skin of the wing has been through a shredder. How it stays a float, Naruto doesn't know. It has a short body and a whip-like tail. Rows of razor sharp teeth are seen in the short head. (For more, go to http:/finalfantasy(dot)wikia(dot)com/wiki/Zirnitra_%28Final_Fantasy_XIII%29).

Kyūbi lets a tear fall from her face.

"**So they finally come."**

Naruto turns questioningly to Kyūbi. "You know what's going on here?"

Kyūbi looks sadly at Naruto and nods. **"Lucifer has decided you are too much of a threat…so he sent his army of demons."**

Naruto starts to panic. "What are we going to do? They're coming right for Konoha! There is no way we can repulse an invasion from Iwa and Oto on top of demons!"

Kyūbi is at his side in an instant. **"I know. But to keep Konoha safe I…I have to transform."**

And therein lies a major problem. Not only would people know she is out, but they might attack her instead.

"Is there any other way? What are they even doing here?"

"**No…I'm the only one that stands a chance but even I have my limits when facing demons. I sense **_**him**_** nearby and his foul yoki. If he attacks, then all my attention will be on him and…and Konoha will fall."**

Naruto grits his teeth. There has to be another way. He clenches his hands in anger. There has to be something he can do. He hasn't worked this hard only to fail.

He works his hands back and forth as he tries to think of something, anything. Normal jutsu aren't effective against demons, their bodies are too sturdy. And don't get started on regular steel. It would be like putty trying to cut through wrought iron. It isn't going to happen.

His hand accidentally hits his sword attached to his side and freezes. Of course!

He draws his sword and activates it to level 2. Kyūbi watches him with sad eyes, watches his excitement in his eyes. She feels absolutely terrible for her next words.

"**You can't help. While that sword is divine in origin, it won't help much against demon armor that is designed to withstand holy objects. It will only make you a target. Don't forget that you are who they are trying to kill."**

Kyūbi watches as Naruto get more and more angry. "You can't expect me to just sit here! I…I have to do something! I have to go with you!"

Kyūbi wraps him in a very strong hug. **"I can't lose you. Your death will almost be certain if you go with me."** She lowers her head. **"And I can't have that. I can't lose you."**

Naruto rounds on her. "So you leave me here and just watch you risk your life? How is that fair to me? How about Hiromi? Are you going to just go and leave her behind too?"

He couldn't believe it. She is leaving him. After all this time, she promised not to leave him, to always be by his side. A painful burning starts in his chest and spreads to his limbs. His brain focuses completely on the fact that she is going to leave…1

That pain…so familiar to before…He can't have that. He can't feel that pain again.

Kyūbi shakes her head. **"I'm sorry but we don't have time for this. I love you and be safe."**

Kyūbi lifts his mask up and kisses him. She suppresses her tears when he doesn't respond, doesn't even register that she is in front of him, making contact with him. She looks into his eyes and sees him retreating into himself once more.

And now she is more torn than ever. If she leaves now, then all the work she and Hiromi did is gone but the sake of the village is at stake, and with it all the people he cares with it. She bites her lip, thinking fast about what to do. Then she remembers her own pact to heal him.

'I vowed that I would help him…to follow him down the path he chooses. Even if that means leveling the village.'

She makes her choice. She jumps Naruto…literally. She wraps her arms and legs around him and kisses him for all she has. His hands catch her out of reflex and holds her ass as she makes passionate love to his mouth.

For Naruto, one moment he is closing himself off, protecting himself from the burning pain across his chest. The next he his holding the reason for the pain while she attacks his lips. He pulls back from the kiss with questioning eyes.

Kyūbi's heart sinks when he breaks the kiss, fearing that it is already too late. But she doesn't let it get her down. She squares her shoulders, figuratively of course, and meets his eyes. They are half glossy, half the crystal clear blue that he has only recently regained.

"**Forget the village. Forget the demons. Forget Akatsuki. I love you and I won't leave you for any reason."**

Naruto stares into her lovely red eyes, searching for signs of trickery.

"**I forgot that I love you not the village. Anything you wish, I will do my best to fulfill it. If you wish the death of every human, then their fate is sealed. Tell me to raze the village, and I'll turn it to ash. Tell me to give you the moon and it is yours. Please don't close yourself off again."**

Naruto considers her words before nodding and gently kissing her, which she has no hesitation in returning.

"Anything for you Hime. Just don't leave me."

Kyūbi smiles. **"Never."**

They lean in again. Out of nowhere, Shin slices at Naruto and Kyūbi with a Hana Tsurugi (Flower Sword). He and Ōnoki had been forced on the ground, but with Naruto distracted, he let up on them. Shin silently cast a jutsu that turns a flower into very long and sharp sword. He silently crept up on them while they are in their own little world.

"**Doton: Chōkajūgan no Jutsu!**" (Earth Release: Superaggravated Rock Technique!)

From above, Ōnoki falls to the ground with his entire arm either incased or turned to stone. He plunges to the ground at astounding speeds because of the increase in weight. He smirks as he falls. He will make those upstart kids pay for ignoring him!

As he falls and Shin closes in those children continue to ignore him.

Faster than they can react to, red tails flash into existence. They wrap around Ōnoki and Shin, preventing them from even moving. A tail around each of their limbs stops any movement. Even Ōnoki with his arm transformed into rock was stopped on a dime and the tails show no signs of giving out.

They look to the source of the tails and are astounded that they originate from the woman!

"What are you?" Ōnoki asks with both fear and awe because of the same reason. Power.

Kyūbi kisses Naruto once more before letting herself down. She lets out more of her features, revealing her ears, claws, and fangs. Kyūbi smirks and pulls Ōnoki close, recoiling as she takes a whif of him.

Ōnoki counts the tails and puts it all together.

"You're…"

Ōnoki goes silent as Naruto puts a chakra seal on Ōnoki and chops the back of his head. He does the same thing for Shin. He is about to create a clone to take the Kage to Tsunade when a blond haired woman lands in the clearing.

"Naruto-sama, Kyūbi-sama. I'm sorry I'm late. Kumo got wind of multiple villages going to invade Konoha and wanted to attack them from the outside."

Naruto nods. "Very good Yugito. Please go and take these two Kage to Tsunade and follow any directions she has. Tell her Kyūbi and I are going to draw the demons away from Konoha."

Yugito grimaces but nods her understanding. She grabs the two Kage by the scruff of their necks and takes off towards Konoha.

With the Kages gone, Naruto takes off his mask off and smiles at Kyūbi. He holds out his hand to her in an invitation, both figuratively and physically. She gives him a large smile and leaps into his arms.

Just then Hiromi lands, kicking up a large dust cloud. She too had seen the demons and finished her fight with another summons quickly and hurried back. She knows just how serious it is if Kyūbi is letting out her features.

"**What are we going to do?" **she asks, but that is directed at Naruto knowing Kyūbi will do whatever he wants.

"We are going to draw the demons away from the village. They can mop up with the invasion. They can't hold off an invasion from demons. So let's go."

Naruto, with Kyūbi in his arms, jumps up on Hiromi's head. She immediately takes off towards the army of demons. Naruto secures himself with chakra and looks at Kyūbi.

"You know what to do. Be safe."

"**You too."**

Kyūbi pushes off him and falls to the ground. But in a flash of red, Kyūbi unleashes her full demon form, drawing much attention, from both demons and humans.

**Scene Change**

To say Tsunade was surprised when another Jinchūriki brought her not one but two Kage to add to her day of fun. First Konoha gets invaded not by two or three but by four or five villages, then two Jinchūriki show up from Iwa. Then the Hachibi Jinchūriki saves her, the Mizukage dies which releases the Sanbi, an army of demons shows up, two Kage now in their jails. Can this day get any worse?

'It certainly has the potential to. With eight of the nine Bijū here, Akatsuki will definitely try to attack,' she thinks dryly. 'At least Kumo showed up and helped deal with the rest of the enemy shinobi. Strangely enough, they all fled when the demons arrived. Good thing too. One less problem for me.'

"Naruto-sama says that he and Kyūbi-sama will draw off the demons from Konoha," Yugito finishes.

Then a wave of familiar yoki rolls over the village.

"It seems Kyūbi-sama has gone and fully transformed Nibi informs me."

Tsunade bashes her head against the desk. She really needs a drink. She wonders if she can stay drunk for an entire week after this to deal with all the shit about killing Naruto and Kyūbi and dozens of other stupid requests.

"Yugito, find Jiraiya and bring him here. Also round up any other Jinchūriki you find. Akatsuki will be on the march with so many of you here. We will leave the demons to those two."

In flash, the Kumo version of a Shunshin, Yugito disappears.

Tsunade starts to reach for a sake bottle when she stops. She can't afford to be even buzzed if when Akatsuki arrives. She had been lucky when Orochimaru had retreated when his snake summons started disappearing. Sasuke had been knocked out by a tail from Bee and nearly killed had it not been for another timely arrival by Orochi-teme to save his next body.

**With Naruto**

Naruto flies on the back of Kiyomi and activates the second level of his sword. He makes it shine so bright it could have blinded him to attract the attention of the demons. When the demons turn towards him, he lowers the light level and changes the blade into a long range sword with segmented parts, making it into a whip.

"**Naru-kun, please get on my head."**

Not knowing why, but figuring there is a good reason for it, Naruto does what she asks. As the aerial demons draw near, Kiyomi concentrates her chakra. She opens her mouth.

Dozens of astronomically high pressurized water spouts erupts from her mouth, each going for a different target. All of them, Naruto can see, has an electric charge running thought each spout.

The demons start to dodge, but still dozens are hit. They convulse as the electricity fries their bodies.

But none fall from the sky. After the shock is over, they just continue on.

"**Normal jutsu won't work on the Ryū-chan. Physical damage is the next best thing to Holy Jutsu," **Kyūbi says from the ground.

Kyūbi lets out a mighty roar that shakes the ground and makes the crystal demons on the ground stumble. Then she is on them. She wraps her tails in flames and proceeds to decimate the ranks of demons.

That is until Kyūbi is tackled. Her eyes widen when she sees just who hit her.

"**Cerberus,"** she growls.

The three headed Inu demon growls and hackles at her. He has dark red lines and stripes all adornining his body, giving him a savage look.3They stand a few hundred meters apart snarling and trying to intimidate each other.

"**A lot time no see fox bitch. I still have to repay you for that time. Give us the human and we shall leave."**

Kyūbi's tails bristle. **"Never."**

"**Then we shall kill him by force. Tell me, why do you help the humans if you are a demon?"**

"**I share the name demon only because I came from the Jūbi's yoki. I will never be like you."**

Cerberus growls and goes low. **"Then it is decided."**

"**I should have killed you when I had the chance. You will die today,"** Kyūbi snarls.

Cerberus seems to smirk. **"And by the time you do, the human will already be dead."**

Before Kyūbi can react, Cerberus launches himself at her. Kyūbi swats at him with a tail but one of Cerberus' heads clamps down on it, making her growl with pain. However, she uses the tail to send Cerberus off course.

She sends more tails after him, swamping him then coming with sharp fangs and claws. But Cerberus isn't about to take this laying down. He hunkers down, using his greater strength and weight to his advantage. The he rips the tail I his mouth, yanking Kyūbi towards him, throwing her off balance.

He slashes at her with his front claws, scoring the first hit. Kyūbi shrugs off the hit as her yoki is already healing the gashes in her chest. She uses her razor sharp fangs and tears into one of Cerberus neck, under the middle one.

Cerberus howls in pain and uses one of his paws to crush her exposed back. The blow forces Kyūbi to let go and Cerberus takes advantage of it.

Two heads. Two heads gouge into her red fur, and not all of it is because red is her natural color. Blood sprays everywhere and the third head grips her throat and tears at it. Her throat is no match for the mighty beast and gives way. He stares down at Kyūbi's dying body.

"**Stupid bitch. She has gotten soft."**

Suddenly he roars with pain as he is slammed into the ground. He looks with his right head and sees Kyūbi standing over him as she tears into his back and neck with her claws and fangs.

'**Stupid! She has no equal with illusions!'**

Kyūbi keeps clawing into her opponent with savage ferocity and fury. She feels Cerberus trying to turn over but she uses her tails to pin him to the ground.

Out of options, he pours yoki into his mouths. Three black balls of highly condensed yoki form in each one.

"**Sanju Imari!"** (Triple Tailed Beast Ball!)

Kyūbi feels the massive buildup of yoki. Not even she can come out of something like that without being hurt.

"**Shugo no Muhen Kyu Tai!"** (Infinite Sphere of Protection!)

Kyūbi's tails let go of Cerberus and wraps around her entire body, shielding her from the imminent blast.

Cerberus feels Kyūbi retreating to protect herself. He smirks and turns around and fires the triple Imari, each having the strength of what the Gobi can do, directly into her tails that shield her. The triple Imari fights with a red barrier before exploding.

**With Naruto**

Naruto slices at random demons that either makes passes at him and Hiromi or those they pass. The natural armor the demons have gives the sword a tough time, but he can still hack through if he puts enough force behind it.

He had grown optimistic when Kyūbi had taken a full third of the army out within moments of engaging them. That optimism quickly turned sour when Kyūbi started her fight with the three headed dog that is the same size if not a little bigger than she is.

Hiromi can feel his agitation and finishes off as many demons as she can with her Ranton jutsu. Around them is a maelstrom that is kicking up very heavy winds that is just tossing about the lower weighted demons. She herself is having no problems with it as she weights several times more than the demons in the air.

They have combined cut down more than fifty aerial demons when a huge buildup of yoki spikes. Both summoner and summons look to see Kyūbi get blasted at near point blank range with not one but three Imari.

The resulting explosion tosses Naruto from Hiromi's now erratic flight due to the concussive force. It also has the side effect of making Naruto very disoriented, making it so he can't concentrate on anything. He twists and tumbles not just end over end but spins in a clock ward spiral, making it impossible to get any bearings.

Then he hits the ground…with his sword sticking through his chest.

**With Kyūbi**

When the Imari fades, Kyūbi's red ball is pitch black all the way around.

Then a piece falls off. Then another. Bit by bit, parts flake off of the sphere. Then the sphere explodes in a shower of charred shrapnel. Cerberus finds himself flying back with an enraged Kyūbi biting and clawing at his stomach.

She tore at his neck, ripping right through the flesh, spilling black blood.

Then she hears something hit the ground. She turns her head to see Naruto laying on the ground with his glowing sword going right through the center of his chest, through the breast plate and all. She doesn't even hesitate and in by his side in an instant in her human form.

She holds onto Naruto, who isn't moving, as Hiromi also lands and changes into her human form as quickly as possible. They cradle Naruto into their laps and hold onto him, whispering and hoping that he isn't dead.

Hope begins to fade as the minutes tick by and there is no sign of life from Naruto.

But then Naruto's body begins to glow. It gains brightness until both women are forced to look away.

When the light fades, they gawk at what they see.

A shirtless Naruto standing straight up, sword gone…with wings. White wings.2

"**Well this is interesting,"** he murmurs to himself.

His voice kicks both women out of their drooling and they attack him. They kiss, touch, feel, and rub all over him in happiness that he is not dead and finding out what just happened. There is no indication that the sword even scratched him as well as no blood.

"_This is my final stage. When the user stabs themselves while the second phase is activated, the user and I merge into one being. You are now capable of using holy jutsu designed for combating demons,"_ a new voice in his head says.

"_And you are?"_ Naruto asks even though he has a good idea.

"_I am the sword. I used your mother's chakra as a medium to communicate with you and her form to take physical shape. You have merged with me completely. You are the weapon now, a powerful weapon."_

"_So…"_

"_I know only a few holy jutsu, the rest is up to you to learn."_

Meanwhile, the girls are sort of freaking out at Naruto's unresponsiveness.

"**Naru-kun!"** Kyūbi shouts as she gets fed up and lightly smacks his face.

His eyes shift to the concerned face of his fiancé.

"**Sorry. Apparently this is the final form of the sword. It merged with me and now I can do holy jutsu."**

They are forced back to reality when Cerberus comes in very fast, slashing and chomping with his three sets of fangs. Kyūbi and Hiromi start to shift but they aren't going to make it in time.

"**Tenchu: Zenno Hesu!"** (Heaven's Punishment: Almighty Push!)

Cerberus finds himself flying backwards at mind boggling speeds. He processes the information when he slams into the side of a large rock formation known as a mountain. That human had used Holy jutsu. He has to end this before it gets even more out of hand.

He flares his yoki and a dark pool forms in front of him. Slowly, a fearsome creature comes out of the pool of obsidian liquid. It is heavily armored with a humanoid body with wings melded with a large, ugly animal with four stubby legs, a short neck and flat face, and a long tail.

This is Utima Weapon, second strongest demon only to Lucifer. So strong that he is tied with Kyūbi in raw power. He is a little smaller that Cerberus in height and far less in weight, but Cerberus would be suicidal to engage in combat with him. (For more go to http:/finalfantasy(dot)wikia(dot)com/wiki/Ultima_Weapon_%28Final_Fantasy_VIII%29)

Cerberus growls, getting the crazed demon's attention.

"**Finish the human while I distract the fox bitch."**

Ultima looks blankly at Cerberus before drawing demon steel sword and advancing on Cerberus. Said demon stands his ground and raises his hackles.

"**You know what will happen if you attack me. Lucifer has declared you under my command as his second."**

Ultima stops and tilts his head and stops. Without warning Ultima disappears.

**With Naruto**

Naruto blinks, not even realizing that he just did that to a being that is as large as Kyūbi's true size. He looks at his outstretched hand, still amazed that he did that out of reflex.

He flexes his wings and tentatively hovers in the air.

He then sees Hiromi and Kyūbi in their full forms and Naruto flies up to Hiromi's head. When he reaches the top, he collapses due to the fire shooting through the new muscles because of the lactic acid.

"**Let's go Hiromi-chan. We still have a lot of demons to take care of."**

Deciding that they will talk about this whole affair later, Hiromi does as directed. Instantly she and Naruto are swarmed. Naruto feels the sword make his holy chakra mold and he finds himself shouting "**Shin Yuu: Tenrai Shugo!"** (Heavenly Protection: Divine Safeguard!)

An encasement of light surrounds himself and Hiromi, making the demons skip right off of it. Hiromi then recreates the maelstrom, this time making it rain and lighting. The rain makes visibility low and the lightning…that is self explanatory. She fires off jutsu after jutsu into the demons, slowly whittling them down in numbers. Surprisingly, the jutsu fired right through the barrier around the two.

The sword implants an idea in his head and Naruto pours holy chakra into his hands. He sees them glow and a white beam shoots out, startling him. However, the effects are magnificent. The beams tore right through the demon armor and cut several wings and appendages off.

Naruto smirks and starts to fire off beams at the demons. His kill count sky rockets.

Meanwhile Kyūbi again ravages the demons on the ground, who were headed right for them. Then Kyūbi sees a column of demons, the Long-Gui heading for Konoha to exterminate them. She can see jutsu being fired at the demons, but they aren't even slowing them down. She moves to intercept the demons, worried that she will have to deal with the humans.

As she approaches the gates, she sees the leading Long-Gui take a step that would flatten a dozen Shinobi crash the main gate. She kicks it up a notch, trying to get to the gate first.

Just as the foot is meters away from crushing the gate, Kyūbi slams into it, knocking it over. The shinobi stare in a myriad of emotions ranging from panicked at seeing a freed Kyūbi to horror as Kyūbi savagely digs into the demon, ripping it apart and exposing the organs and showering the ground (and them) in buckets of orange blood.

Kyūbi lets out a roar as she finishes mauling the first Long-Gui. She counts eight left and starts to panic as the rest of the demon tanks start to charge her.

Now normally a demon of Kyūbi's caliber would have little to fear from a lesser demon that doesn't even have five percent of the Jūbi's power, even if she is outnumbered more than five to one. But even Cerberus with his body of solid muscle doesn't want to get skewered by forty foot long tusks.

Long-Gui are not the fastest demons nor the strongest. They always walk at a leisurely pace. But if they do charge, as rare as it is, it would take a mountain to stop them. Kyūbi has eight charging at her.

Kyūbi turns her back to Konoha and wraps her tails in the same blue fire that she used at the beginning of the battle. She then charges right at the demons charging right at her.

As they close on each other, Kyūbi extends her tails and intensifies the flames. She jumps into the air and starts to hop on the backs of each Long-Gui. As she lands, she takes her tails and burns the shit out of each one, cooking the insides of the demon.

In seconds, all eight Long-Gui fall to the ground, writhing in agony as they feel their internal organs cooking, which makes them stop functioning.

Kyūbi huffs as she lets her tail fire go out. That took a lot out of her.

Suddenly she feels a massive spike of dark demon yoki explode over the battle field. Her eyes flash open and the hair on the back of her neck raises in response to the yoki of one of two demons that she cannot beat.

But the yoki isn't directed at her…

She stands, her instincts to protect her mate. Only to be tackled by Cerberus who had been laying in wait for her to let her guard down or for Ultima Weapon to make his move.

The two enormous beings tussle once more only this time is in plain view of the shinobi. The humans watch as the Kyūbi no Yoko, death incarnate, defends them. Kyūbi manages to separate from Cerberus but not before a head got a bit on her left shoulder, making it painful to walk on. Her healing has also slowed down due to her low yoki levels from fighting for so long.

Cerberus says nothing (for once) and stands between Kyūbi and Naruto. She feels another spike of the dark yoki, signifying that a technique is about to be used and judging from the amount that is being put into it, it is going to be very devastating.

Kyūbi tries everything to get past Cerberus but nothing works. Her yoki is just too low now. But she keeps on trying over and over again. She is now bleeding profusely from multiple gashes and bites, making her body feel heavy.

But even still she continues to try. The only thing on her mind is getting to Naruto and saving him, even at the cost of her life. She cannot let him die.

Kyūbi tries again but her body is so heavy and she makes a mistake. She goes too slow on a turn and Cerberus latches on to the back of her neck and wrangles her down to the ground. She howls and claws and struggles but no avail. Cerberus keeps his grip tightly on her as his other heads fend off the tails.

Cerberus is shocked that Kyūbi continues to try to get free, even though his jaws have her. He huffs as Kyūbi continues to trash around in both pain and need. He briefly wonders what is driving her to be so energetic, to keep on going.

Then he feels Ultima is ready with his attack and prepares to kill Kyūbi and claim his superiority over her once and for all.

The last thing Kyūbi sees as her body loses both blood and yoki is a bright light that envelopes her and the sky…or maybe that is just her vision going out.

**With Naruto**

Naruto is having the time of his life. Feeling the wind in his face, firing beam after beam of pure holy chakra at demons. Hiromi hears him laughing and feels…she doesn't know what she feels. It isn't happiness but at the same time it is. She can't explain it.

Then out of nowhere, Hiromi's underbelly gets sliced open. She roars in pain, forcing Naruto to pay attention. He looks around and sees nothing. Then Hiromi's back left leg gets sliced, then her front right. Then her right wing near the base.

Hiromi is in a massive amount of pain from the gashes and losing altitude fast. She concentrates on landing as well as possible but with her wing ligaments severed, her wing will not respond and cannot control herself.

To protect Naruto she turns over and lands squarely on her back with a resounding _*thud*_ that rocks the ground. Naruto's momentum carries him forward and hydroplanes about ten feet before stopping.

Naruto pulls himself out of the mud and turns back and is horrified by what he sees. A large demon standing over Kyūbi with a sword more than half its height poised to kill an unmoving Hiromi.

"**NO!"**

Either out of instinct or the sword working Naruto's chakra again, Naruto channels a huge amount of holy chakra into his palms and lets lose. The enormous beam of energy hits home and throws the beast back.

Naruto nearly falls over from exhaustion and looks at his smoking palms. He shakes his head lose and focuses on the downed Hiromi. Naruto look on as Hiromi slowly changes back to her human form, and looks to see her right arm bent at a ridiculous angle that hurts to even look at.

Naruto drops to his knees and lowers his head to her chest, hoping to Kami that she is alive. He relaxes when he hears the soft, but steady thumping of her heart and feels the gentle rising and falling of her chest. He lets out a breath of relief and pulls her arm straight and winces at the painful moan Hiromi breathes out. He gets up and tiredly looks around for something to splint it with.

But then comes the vile yoki. It is so sudden and powerful that Naruto doubles over and throws up. Before he even stands back up, his reflexes tell him to be someplace else. Good thing to because a deep gash in the ground where he had been standing. Before him stands the ugliest beast he has ever seen. A cross between a man, a bird, and a dog.

However, he doesn't have time to worry about looks as the demon wildly attacks, without any form or thought about counters. Of course, his strikes are so fast that he doesn't leave any openings to attack makes up for it.

Naruto breathes hard as he tries to keep up with the crazed demon. He also feels a buildup of yoki within the creature and that worries him a lot. The levels just keep rising without any end it seems.

'I have to do something or I'm going to die as well as Hiromi.'

Naruto has a sudden moment of clarity. He remembers back to _why_ they are attacking him. His is the Nidaime Rikudō Sennin. He has more abilities than just dodging!

"**Shinra Tensei!"**

Ultima Weapon is blasted back but surges its yoki to even higher levels which negates the attack. Naruto tries his gravity manipulation but the demon only increases his yoki again and again. Every time he tries something, the creature just ups the amount of yoki.

Naruto now sports a multitude of gashes and is on his knees, completely out of chakra. The only chakra left in his system is just barely enough to survive on.

Naruto raises his head, one eye closed to keep the blood running down his face out of it, and sees the monstrosity standing right above him. He feels all the building yoki within the creature pull from its body and into the sword. More specifically the point of the blade.

Naruto lowers his head and resigns himself to his fate. 'I'm sorry Hiromi, Kyūbi. I wasn't good enough…'

The beast raises the blade and thrusts down at the immobile Naruto.

Suddenly a translucent barrier is erected around Naruto, blocking the strike and the subsequent explosion. Naruto looks up at feeling the ground quake but he is completely unharmed. He hears something beside him and looks to see a light blue rabbit-like creature with a large ruby in its forehead beside him.

"**Do not be afraid. You have done well and Kami is pleased with your progress. Please sit back and let us deal with the demons,"**it squeaks in a surprisingly high pitch voice.

"But Hiromi and Kyūbi…"

"**They also have a barrier over them. It would take both Cerberus and Ultima together to break my barriers and Bahamut isn't going to let that happen. By the way, you may call me Carbuncle."**

"Bahamut?"

"**Another like me. He is the king of the dragons, the god to your…fiancé. Right now he is circling overhead and waiting…or not."**

A large white beams suddenly strikes the ground near the barrier, throwing the now dubbed 'Ultima' away from the barrier it had been trying to get through with no success. However, the demon gets back up and attacks again.

Another large blast, this time striking the demon right on the chest. It blows a large hole through it. It is so large that Naruto can see all the way through the demon's chest cavity. The heart, lungs, ribs, aorta are gone, evaporated.

But the beast gets back up.

"**That is Ultima Weapon, a crazed demon with no upper brain functions. It acts entirely off of instinct and instinct alone. It only listens to Lucifer because its survival instincts tell it to. You did well to last as long as you did against an enemy that would have killed Kyūbi."**

Suddenly Cerberus appears next to Ultima Weapon and holds it back from attacking yet again. **"We are retreating. We cannot defeat Bahamut if he stays in the air. And there may be more."**

An enormous pool of water blacker than utter darkness appears and the two demons descend into it and disappear into it. As soon as the demons are out of sight, the portal closes and they are gone.

For a while, all is quiet. It presses in on the ears of everyone in Konoha who was listening to the battle.

That is until Naruto asks Carbuncle to lower the barrier so he can check on Hiromi and Kyūbi. He gathers Hiromi up gently, very aware of her broken arm, and limps towards the direction that Cerberus came from. Carbuncle silently follows, knowing what the half demon will find.

"KYŪBI!" Naruto creates a clone and hands Hiromi off to the clone and hurries over to Kyūbi.

Her red fir is slick and wet with her own blood and blood is starting to pool around her. Naruto almost flies across the ground to get to her. He gets right beside her enormous face and starts to touch her.

"Kyūbi-chan!" he shouts over and over again.

Her breath is shallow and labored, her throat is torn and freely bleeding as well as her back and shoulders.

"Come on Kyūbi-chan! You promised not to leave me! You can't die now. You can't!"

From the haziness in her head, Kyūbi hears Naruto call for her. Relief spreads throughout her body. She didn't fail him. He is alive and that is all that matters.

For Naruto, relief spreads through him when Kyūbi opens one eye and looks at him. She is surprised to see him bleeding as bad as he is and so concerned about her.

'That's Naruto for you.'

"Kyūbi-chan, I need you to change into your human form so I can carry you. I'm almost out of chakra and can't manipulate gravity right now."

Kyūbi hears him but she is so tired. All she wants to do is to go to sleep. She closes her eyes but Naruto's voice keeps at her.

"Come on Kyūbi-chan. You have to help me. Please."

The desperation in his voice calls out to her.

'I will not disappoint him. I have a promise to keep.'

Kyūbi slowly shrinks into her human form. Naruto instantly is hugging her and holding her. He is on his feet and sprinting in the direction of Konoha when a dragon larger than Hiromi lands in front of him.

The scales are pitch black scales, wings double the span of Hiromi's. The neck is very long, longer than the Hokage Tower is tall, and a long snout that matches the rest of the body.

"**I am Bahamut, King of the Dragons and Overlord of the Skies. I see you have one of my kin with you."**

Naruto looks up to the giant dragon and nods.

"Yes but we don't have time for pleasantries. Kyūbi is bleeding out and she needs help. Not to mention Hiromi needs attention too."

Bahamut growls at being dismissed. **"And why should I not crush you for your insolence, boy?"**

Naruto rolls his eyes. "Either help or get out of my way!"

To make his point, Naruto starts to walk past the dragon. Said dragon seethes at being ignored but a look from Carbuncle prevents him from doing anything rash.

"**Fine. Hop on boy and I will take you to into the village."**

Naruto doesn't wait for the testy dragon to change his mind. He gets on along with his clone and hold on while the dragon rises up into the air.

"Head for the Hokage Tower. Baa-chan can help her."

Bahamut is about to make a remark about being told what to do when another look by the stowaway Carbuncle stops him. A short few seconds later, Bahamut awkwardly lands right outside the tower. Naruto, being close enough, jumps from the back of the dragon _through_ the window and into the office.

"Baa-chan! Kyubi needs help quickly!"

Only then does he notice that the room is filled with people.

"Naruto…what happened to your eyes?" 4

* * *

End Chapter 8

AN: Ok, so first things first. THIS CHAPTER WAS FUCKING INSANE TO WRITE! Seriously, the entire thing is just one big battle. It hankers down on my creativity when I have to just come up with fight after fight with very little in between.

1) Naruto was all depressed because Kyubi was going to move on, move past him. He felt left out and kind of betrayed that she would blatantly leave him behind like that after she promised to always be by him. I know it is a bit angsty but I needed some kind of break in the battle and it provides a nice distraction (for me at least to write).

2) So the angle form poll won. I counted and totaled from both on my profile and through reviews. Plus I like this one the best because it makes the ending more believable.

3) All creatures introduced in this chapter are from either FF 13 (Long-Gui and Sacrifices) or FF 8 (the GF's). The GF's are how they appear in FF 8 and nowhere else. There will be more GF's in the story but not all of them.

4) I know, another cliff hanger. But this one isn't near as large as the last one. Plus this chapter would be 15) (MS Word has it at 11,852 while FanFiction has it just over 13k) if I were to completely finish it in one chapter.

xx

I know there is a lot of standing around when the demons first showed up, but that is because Kyubi's priofity is Naruto and could careless about Konoha after she remembers who she is loyal to. So she will take as much time as she needs/wants to get Naruto from walling himself up again.

xx

I can confirm that next chapter will be the first lemons of the story...so don't worry.

xx

Now on to the questions!

1: How were the fight scenes? I tried to make Kyubi/Cerberus fight epic as only giant demons can make them. The Hitomi/Manda rematch wasn't planned at all. I hope it is epic enough to do them justice. Please tell me! I also tried to make Ultima Weapon seem totally insane.

2: Grammar? Any obvious or blatant misspellings or wrong words?

3: How were the plot twists? I tried not to give them away but some of them I just couldn't get away with.

4: Any suggestions or questions?

xx

RR

Thanks for reading,

tomhunt98

***I do not own FFXIII or FF VIII or any content in either games. Square Enix does***


	9. Chapter 9: Truth of it All

I'm back with another Chapter for Return of the Sage.

Give a shout out to 100,000 views and 100,000 words with this chapter! Couldn't have done it without my readers! Big Thank you!

Review responses:

Let me say this first: A lot of people are confused or irked that Cerberus beat Kyubi. That only happens because she was distracted and trying to get to Naruto. In previous engagements, she beat him badly. Cerberus is just under her in power and no where near her level of intellect. This is the first fight that Kyubi lost against against him. Yes, I do plan on a rematch.

I had to have an enemy bigger than Kyubi otherwise there would be no strife, no conflict because Kyubi would go all ape shit on them and win hands down, the end. Not a very exciting story in my view.

to Toby860: Thank you for your wonderful comments. You won't be happy with the end of this chapter, but let me reassure you that a bigger wedding with an actual ceremony will come sometime in the next two chapters. So keep on reading.

to DEBob19: no I wasn't high. I actually had the demons invading for quite some time. I had to do something with them since I had Lucifer find out about Naruto and I thought, "what would make this an interesting plot? Oh, five villages plus demons." And yes, it did come out of nowhere, just like I wanted it to. People forgot about the demons and I felt it was time to remind them that humans are not the apex predators.

**Chapter 9: The Truth of it All  
**

"Naruto…what happened to your eyes?"

Naruto blinks. Standing in the office is a good portion of the rookie eight, i.e. Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, Shino, and Sakura, along with the remaining conscious Jinchūriki, aka Gaara, Yugito, Fū, and Kirabi, and lastly Jiraiya.

"And did you just say Kyūbi?"

Naruto shakes his head and moves past them. He doesn't have time for this. The Jinchūriki all raising their eyebrows as they can feel the yoki within the woman Naruto is carrying, as low as the levels may be. He blatantly ignores the shocked looks of his fellow leaf shinobi and the very hurt and confused look Fū is giving him.

"Ba-chan!"

Tsunade, who was in some kind of stupor, comes back to life and sees a very injured Kyūbi who is on her last rope. Tsunade snatches Kyūbi from Naruto and clears her desk of all papers with one sweep of her arm.

"SHIZUNE!"

The dark haired woman bursts into the office and is shocked by what she sees. Being Tsunade's assistant and a big sister to Naruto before Sakura broke him, she is privy to just who the red head on Tsunade's desk is.

She immediately goes into action and starts repairing tissue while Tsunade starts scanning for internal injuries and other things that aren't so obvious. The males in the room all notice just how beautiful the woman is. Luckily Kyūbi had thought of clothes when she changed back into her human form.

"Tsunade-sama, can I be of assistance?" a timid Sakura asks.

She approaches the desk and actives a scanning jutsu when the harshest look Tsunade has ever given someone stops her dead in her tracks.

"You will not come near her."

Sakura, as well as the others in the room (minus Yugito) are all taken aback by Tsunade's hostility. Once Sakura backs up, Tsunade resumes her work. After ten agonizing minutes and several blood pills, Tsunade declares Kyūbi stable enough to be moved to the emergency room.

Shizune picks up Kyūbi gingerly and shunshins to the hospital to prepare an operating room. Tsunade walks over to Naruto and places a hand on his shoulder, making him jump in surprise.

"Go home Naruto. Get some rest. I'll take Hiromi to the hospital and make sure she gets help too."

Naruto looks at her. "I can't do that. I have to go with you. I have to see if she is going to be ok."

Tsunade smiles and places both hands on his shoulders. "She'll be fine, thanks to you. Five minutes slower getting her to us and there would be nothing we could have done. Go home and rest. I'll page you as soon as we are out of surgery."

Naruto is about to argue but Tsunade cuts him off. "Don't make me order you."

The blond male fixes Tsunade with a harsh glare. "I don't care if you ordered the entire village to stop me. Nothing would keep me from being there with them."

Tsunade sighs and should have known that he would say something like that.

"Fine but go home and shower and change first. I will not have my hospital smelling like burnt fish."

Naruto gives her a small smile and hugs her briefly. He then looks around the room before locating Yugito. With a very subtle movement of his head, he inclines for her to follow. Most see it but don't know what it is for. Then he actually leaves using the door. He leaves calmly but swiftly, leaving a mostly stunned crowd.

Tsunade rubs her temples for a second before returning to the assembled crowd.

"Alright, secure the village. Jinchūriki, you are to stay together and in the center of the village unless otherwise directed by me only. With Akatsuki still out there, we must ensure your safety.

"Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Jiraiya are to go out and capture and reseal the Sanbi while it is still close. If we hurry, we can have eight of the nine Bijū here and all together and protect them from Akatsuki."

With a chorus of affirmatives, Tsunade collects Hiromi from the clone and takes off for the hospital.

As soon as Tsunade is gone, the rookie nine start to talk between themselves about what they just saw.

"Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. Follow me. You all have the highest chakra control here and are the best suited for a sealing. Last we heard, the Sanbi was headed east back towards Kiri. We will follow it and seal it inside a kunai made of chakra enhancing metal. Let's move out."

The four of them leave the room. The other non Jinchūriki also take the time to leave, never having stopped talking about what Naruto said and his appearance. Yugito uses the commotion to discretely create a clone and Shunshin out the window at the same time.

Naruto exits the building and is immediately accosted by an irate dragon god.

"**We must speak boy."**

Naruto shakes his head. "I'm sorry but I can't right now. My fiancé are wounded and I must see to them. After they are better we can talk."

Bahamut snarls, torrents of black smog issuing from his nostrils. However, Carbuncle bounces from Bahamut's back and onto his snout, drawing the attention of both.

"**That is fine. Tend to your mates but do not take too long. The fate of the entire universe is at stake here and you are the hinge pin on which everything rests. Once you are ready, summon us by calling our names."**

Bahamut growls in annoyance at being at the beck and call of a human but stows his opinions. Naruto watches as the dragon takes off and soars into the sky and ultimately disappearing into the ever darkening clouds.

Naruto reaches his house surprisingly calm or just highly focused. He walks in the door and before he closes the door, Yugito is standing in front of him. She gives a curt nod of her head to him before speaking. He, however, notices that she seems to be fidgety.

"What can I do for you Master?"

Naruto looks to her for a second before answering. "Do you have a cloaking Genjutsu?"

Yugito nods.

"How good is it?"

Yugito is kind of thrown off by the question. "Well, if I suppress my chakra output to a minimum level, then the only way to detect me is to bump into me unless someone is a very detailed censor. I can still be detected by smell and sound though."

Naruto nods. "Good. I want you to stand watch over the fiancé that I am not currently with. I'll go and wait for Kyūbi to get out of surgery so you will be with Hiromi. I'll come and spend some time with her once she wakes up and then you'll switch to Kyūbi until she is able to defend herself.

"I don't want people to get an idea that they can harm one my fiancé. I won't allow that to happen. Deadly force is authorized but try to apprehend first."

Yugito nods in understanding but it is awkward due to her rubbing her legs together.

"Is there something the matter?"

Yugito blushes in embarrassment of getting caught by her master, but she tries to play it off.

"It is nothing Naruto-sama."

However, Naruto doesn't by it.

"Don't make me order you to tell me."

Yugito flushes again. She turns her head away from him and answers.

"Ky…Kyūbi-sama hasn't been by to administer her…treatment. I tried to hold on, but my body is reacting on its own. I usually get three a week and it been five days," she pleads desperately. She looks down in shame as her body continues to try to rub anything to get pleasure.

A wide eyed Naruto forms an 'o' with his mouth in understanding.

"Take off your pants."

Yugito's head snaps up so fast Naruto us afraid she has whiplash. "M…master?"

A blushing Naruto at what he is about to do but commands himself to continue.

"You heard me. I will be…assisting you in Kyūbi's stead."

Yugito hears the finality in his voice and slowly slides her pants down and then her underwear. Naruto, being the gentleman he is turns around and remembers something. He follows Kyūbi's advice to get a towel beforehand and have it underneath Yugito's…he blushes at the thought. He takes a deep breathes. This is the first time he is going to have any experience with kind of thing.

After taking a few calming breaths, he sits on the couch and motions for Yugito to join him. She awkwardly shuffles over to him, having her pants around her ankles and completely exposed to one of her masters. Eventually Yugito gets to her master on the couch and he directs her to sit on his lap. He places the towel on his lap just as she is sitting.

"Now lean back. I don't have much experience with this but Kyūbi taught me the theoretical knowledge for the technique," he says while blushing.

With trembling hands, Naruto moves his left arm around and takes in a deep breath before placing a hand on her core. He only has a basic idea because Kyūbi thought it was a good idea to 'teach him'.

He starts by gently rubbing up and down the sensitive folds, getting a whimper from Yugito. He goes slightly faster and presses his finger harder, making Yugito putty in his arms. His confidence rises as Yugito's moans get louder and louder, confirming that he is doing it right. He finally feels confident enough to do something else when Yugito bucks her hips into his finger.

Yugito cries out in pleasure as Naruto slips a finger into her now dripping core. Naruto makes a sawing motion with his hand and adds another finger. Yugito plants her feet and bounces on his finger in an attempt to increase her pleasure. After a minute, Naruto makes a discovery. A tiny nub on the outside of the vagina that makes her quiver every time he brushes it.

So what does a curious guy do? He messes with it.

He takes his other hand and rubs the nub between his forefinger and thumb, all the while never stopping his hand that is pumping into her. Yugito shudders. Her mouth is open and her tongue hanging out the side and panting like a dog. This would be quite the insult to her if she actually cared at the moment.

'And now for the finish.'

Naruto adds chakra to his fingers on both hands. The chakra spreads into her nerves at an astounding rate and makes them all fire at dizzying speeds. Yugito's eyes widen and she shrieks as her pleasure increases a hundred fold. Naruto's fingers are ejected from Yugito's honey pot as she orgasms and squirts all over the…towel?

Yugito slumps over, breathing heavily and heavily fogged and clings to the side of the couch. Her body continues to shiver and shake as her body rides out her orgasm. It was the best orgasm she has ever had, even better than what her female master does.

For Naruto, he is now very glad that Kyūbi gave him advice to use a towel when helping Yugito. She said that Yugito was a gusher but he didn't know what that meant before. He gets up to put the towel in a hamper and wash his hands when a slender hand reaches out and very lightly grabs his wrist.

"Th…thank you Master," she breathes out.

Naruto gives her a sad smile. "No problem. When you have recovered and washed up, head over to the hospital but don't let anyone know you aren't with the other Jinchūriki."

Naruto sets out to put the towel in a hamper and curses. His pants are very uncomfortably tight.

When he reaches his room he strips and is unsure what to do about his wings. That is remedied after a bright flash of light from his body and suddenly Naruto is holding the sword again, his wings gone.

'One thing less to worry about.'

After a quick shower, Naruto starts to get dressed and notices that his armor, or at least his chest plate, is gone.

'This is going to be a problem.'

"_Not really Master Naruto."_

Naruto jumps. 'What have I told you about that?' he angrily thinks to the spirit of the armor.

"_I am sorry Master Naruto. You may collect me from the heavenly realm. When the sword stabbed you, I could do nothing about it. It went right through the chakra shield and metal. I was transported to the heavenly realm after that. _

"_I have no idea how you get to this realm but I was assured that you would be here soon."_

'Great. I guess I'll have to worry about it later.'

Naruto showers with _cold_ water, then finishes dressing and calmly walks out the door and out of his compound to the hospital, sword in hand. It takes ten minutes but he gets there.

He walks up to the nurse's station and asks for the operating room Tsunade is in. Naruto had to pull rank and tell her that Tsunade is operating on his fiancé to get to tell him, but a few short minutes later, he is sitting outside the operating room.

Hours later, Naruto is awoken by Shizune softly nudging him.

"Naruto-chan, Kyu is fine and resting. We put her and Hiromi in the same room. Unfortunately we don't have a clue as to dragon physiology so we can't heal her. The most we can do is make her comfortable until she wakes and can go back to her own village to get treatment."

Naruto yawns and stands.

"Thanks Nee-chan. I'll go and sit in their room."

Shizune smiles and directs him to a room on the second floor near the emergency stairs. He enters the room and fights a grimace.

Kyūbi is wrapped up in so many bandages that the only real identifying feature is her hair, but even parts of that have been shaved and all of it cut to neck length. She has a breathing tube as well as an IV in her arm. Hiromi on the other than just has her arm in a sling and propped up with several pillows.

Naruto's heart sinks at the sight.

'How did they both get almost killed and injured and I don't have a scratch on me?'

He pulls a chair from the side and puts it so he can sit in between their beds. He reaches over and gently rubs the back of Kyūbi's left hand and a silent tear falls from his eyes.

'I failed you both. If I had only been stronger…'

Several hours later, Naruto is awake but just barely. His head keeps nodding foreword and starts to doze then jerks up again. Cycle repeats.

From the corner, Yugito frowns. She wishes she had someone to dote over her like he is over the two unearthly beautiful women. She feels a longing to feel loved and needed and someone to tell her that she is perfect in every way; someone to hold her close and whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

The door silently opens. Yugito's eyes are immediately fixed to the person entering. She prepares to defend her masters against all threats.

The nurse opens the door very quietly and steps in. She immediately sees Naruto nodding off and moves as silently as she can. She grabs the charts on the end of the bed and examines it for a few seconds. She then moves to Kyūbi's right side and touches her wrist and watches the clock. Satisfied, the nurse jots something down on the chart.

After a few looks at Kyūbi and several more written notes, the nurse puts the chart back on the bed. She went over and did the same to Hiromi.

Satisfied, the nurse leaves the room, allowing Yugito to relax her grip from her kunai.

Outside the door, the nurse grimaces.

'One guard inside along the wall near the window. High amount of chakra, female, adept in Genjutsu. This is going to make things difficult.'

As the nurse walks down the hall, she seemingly disappears into the floor, nobody noticing a thing.

An hour later, Naruto is awoken by a yawn. He blearily opens his eyes and sees Hiromi yawning and trying to stretch.

"Hiromi-chan."

The dragon whips her head to the side, happy at whose voice it is and confused at the defeated tone.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto just shakes his head. "Nothing. I'm just glad you're alright."

Hiromi smiles and motions with her good arm for Naruto to come closer. When he does, she pulls him closer with strength that one wouldn't associate with a woman. She crushes her lips against his. The heated kiss doesn't last long.

"Don't hold it in. Tell me."

Naruto struggles to voice his thoughts. "I…I feel…I feel like…like I failed you both."

Hiromi is about to argue when he continues. "I trained for this and when push came to shove, I couldn't keep either of you safe."

"Naruto, you did just fine. Sure we got hurt but it wasn't your fault! We were facing demons, beings created from the Jūbi's own yoki centuries ago."

"But I wasn't strong enough! If I had only trained harder Kyūbi wouldn't wrapped up like a mummy with a machine to breath for her and you wouldn't have gotten your wing…arm…hurt when you tried to protect me from the fall. I have to get stronger to protect you."

Hiromi gently takes Naruto's face in her good hand and looks directly in his purple eyes.

"Don't ever say that. You have done your best and did better than any human could ever hope for against demons.

"And as romantic as it is to have someone protect you all the time, Kyūbi and I are not brittle. We are made for this kind of thing. Yes we got injured but we will live and grow stronger because of it. So don't go into a guilt trip when there is no cause for it."

Naruto looks at the floor. He heard Hiromi's words but for the life of him, he can't get the feeling of letting them down out of him. Then he feels Hiromi's hand lift his face to look at her.

"We are not going to break over something like this. You don't have to act like we are, though most of the time it is rather sweet of you. But now is not one of those times." Hiromi lowers her head for a second before looking back. "I hate to do this but I have to go back to my realm. I need to get my wing set and healed. Your medical staff is good but they are nor equipped nor knowledgeable enough to treat a dragon."

"I understand."

Hiromi scowls at his still downtrodden look and tone of voice. Using her massive strength, she hauls him on to the bed and onto her lap. Hiromi holds him to her, careful to avoid her arm, as she just allows Naruto to be close. She breathes in his scent and relaxes herself even as he is too stunned to return the hug. Her good hand absentmindedly strokes his hair.

"I would rather stay here with you but I cannot. I will be back as soon as I am able to." She gives him anther kiss, this time tender and loving. She looks directly into his eyes, amber-gold meets bland blue. "I love you, remember that."

With a puff, Hiromi goes back to her realm, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts.

Said blond, being the devoted person he is, goes back to watching over Kyūbi. Hours pass and Naruto ends up sleeping with his hand in hers with his forehead resting on the edge of her bed.

This is the scene that Tsunade walked into. She smiles at the sight, though she notices that Hiromi is gone; probably back to the summons realm to get healed properly. Tsunade very careful not to wake Naruto goes through her check up on Kyūbi.

All is looking well. Her injuries are healing at a more rapid pace than before due to her yoki replenishing. It will still be some time before she is completely healed, probably within a week, but it is still many times faster than any human, Jinchūriki included, can do.

Tsunade flips through hand seals and runs her glowing hands over Kyūbi's chest. With a nod, Tsunade's hands stop glowing purple and grabs the respirator tube and gently pulls it out of Kyūbi's throat. Tsunade holds her breath, hoping that the Bijū would breathe on her own. And to her great relief, she does.

Next Tsunade checks the bite marks and gashes. Most are either completely healed or close to it. So she cuts the bandages and removes them, pulling them from under the Bijū in human form. Soon, Kyūbi's skin once again is visible with only a little reddening of the skin due to the recent healing. With a quick flash of a pen, Tsunade updates Kyūbi's chart and writes for the respirator to be taken out when the next nurse comes to check up on them and to get her washed to get the residue of the ointment and bandages off her skin.

With her checkup complete, she takes the time to run a few over Naruto who had yet to get one. The worst of his injuries seems to be a few gashes and cuts that are already healing at a fairly high pace. In twelve hours or so, they should be finished.

Tsunade takes a moment to watch them…him. He has come so far in a short amount of time. A proud smile creeps on her face as she watches. She is more proud of him than he will ever know. She ruffles his hair in a motherly way, takes one more look as if embedding it into her memory and then leaves them be. She never notices the extra pair of eyes on her the whole time, ready to pounce and protect her masters.

**Elsewhere**

"The Kyūbi and the Dragon are both incapacitated and the brat is too tired to do anything. Add to that the village is still in shambles from the invasion and the shinobi are tired as well. Our targets are right there for the taking!"

"No…we will not move on Konoha."

A stunned Zetu lets his shock show on his face.

"**And why the fuck not!"** the dark Zetu roars out only for his white counterpart to slap his hand over his mouth but the black Zetu fights him off. **"We risk our lives to get intel on them, months of planning and even longer to set up this invasion and for what? Just to sit back while eight of our nine targets are in the same place? Yes eight. They were successful in retrieving the Three-tails and are on their way back. Eight! My whole life's mission is right in front of me and you expect me to sit back?"**

Suddenly both Zetu are flung back against a wall, a strong hand grasping their throat with two angry Mangekyo Sharingan spinning madly.

"I expect you to follow orders! The demons change everything! They already made it clear that if they see me, they will try to take me out on sight. But more than that, they are watching Konoha. If we try to attack now, they will just come back and wipe us all out at the same time.

"And with Lucifer watching Konoha, so is Kami and her forces or did you miss the GIANT FUCKING DRAGON that obliterated their forces with a few blasts?"

Madara throws Zetu into another wall where he is imbedded into said wall. Zetu watches with blurry vision as Madara approached him while upside down, Sharingan still spinning wildly. A horrifying vision of someone who wouldn't think twice about killing you to be sure.

"The dynamics of the game have changed. We will wait and find out who makes the first move and _then_, we will make our move. I do not require your understanding, just your abilities. Do I make myself clear?"

**Time Skip – 4 Hours**

Naruto is tired. Really tired.

The sleep he got isn't the most restful he ever had and add to the position he slept in on multiple occasions, his neck and body is creaky and sore.

However, despite all of the reasons to be tired, he finds even more reasons to be awake. Like the fingers running through his hair. Naruto opens his eyes with a groan and lifts his head to see a smiling Kyūbi moving her fingers through his hair.

"**Good morning handsome."**

"Kyūbi-chan?"

Kyūbi giggles. **"Who were you expecting?"**

Naruto doesn't even answer, only launches himself at her. Kyūbi is a little stunned at the sudden action but welcomes it all the same. She holds Naruto to her as he lets out all his pent up emotions all at once. His walls break down and he vents, to which she is more than happy to be used as a sponge.

His barriers had started to creep up, blocking out emotions when he first saw their broken bodies. Then they rose even higher with Hiromi's leaving. But when he saw Kyūbi up and talking and smiling, the walls couldn't hold the joy he felt and they crumbled.

"**I'm ok Naru-kun. I promise."**

True to her words, she is bandages free. But the sight of her only a few hours ago being completely covered in bandages and needed a respirator makes it very hard to believe.

"**Believe it or not, but I've had worse. Cerberus is a nasty demon who I've gone toe to toe with several times. Last time I nearly castrated him if not for his underlings coming to his rescue."**

"But you almost died! How can you be so casual about that? I had to carry you to Ba-chan so she could heal you. I…"

Naruto get too choked up and Kyūbi realizes her mistake. Before when she faced dangerous opponents, to her, she didn't have anyone waiting for her, no one to care about her wellbeing. But now she does and that person was forced to carry her battered and broken body towards safety, all the while not knowing if she would survive.

"**I'm sorry about that. I've never had…" **Shestops, realizing that she is about to try to make an excuse. **"I can't guarantee that I won't get hurt again but I promise to do my best to not put you in that situation every again."**

Naruto looks like he wants to argue but decides to drop it. They sit there on the tiny medical bed, cuddled against each other for a while.

"**Where is Ryū-chan?"**

Naruto's face falls a bit. "She had to go back to get healed properly. Her wing was cut by that monster as she was flying and she landed on it to protect me from getting hurt."

Kyūbi can tell that Naruto is blaming himself. She holds him tighter to herself.

"**Naruto, that demon's name is Ultima Weapon. It is a demon that in terms of raw power exceeds my own. The only way I could win against it is too outsmart it. Until you gain control over demonic yoki, you won't stand a chance against it."**

That is something Naruto knows only too well. That feeling of helplessness as the beast took everything he had and just kept coming like it was nothing. He never wants to experience that again.

"I'll get stronger. I have too."

A cold knot forms in Kyūbi's stomach. **"What are you talking about? You don't need…"**

"Yes I do!"

The sharpness of his words stuns her. "I couldn't do anything! My best jutsu, even the holy jutsu, didn't even scratch it. I couldn't protect Hiromi and I couldn't protect you. I'll get stronger so you don't have to figh…"

"**Are you even listening to yourself?"** Kyūbi bellows, interrupting him mid rant. **"Do you hear the nonsense you are spouting? You are a human, albeit the strongest human living right now, but a human no less. I am a Bijū, created from the Jūbi's own yoki and second only to Lucifer in terms of both power and intellect. If I wanted to, you would be nothing to crush even in with your holy jutsu. **

"**So don't spout this 'I have to protect you' shit. I'm not a delicate flower. I am a fucking Bijū, born to fight and protect humans from the likes of the demons. I have lived for centuries and let me tell you…you have no idea what demons are capable of. You haven't even scratched the surface. Lucifer could look at you and you would die."**

As Kyūbi berates him, his feelings get lower and lower. He cringes at her words, the sharpness of her tongue. But one emotion overpowers his feeling of uselessness.

"So what would you have me do? Just roll over and play dead?" he asks heatedly.

Inwardly Kyūbi smirks. Her words riled Naruto out of his pity party and got him to open his mind up.

"**No. You train and get stronger so that one day **_**we**_** can take them on."**

Naruto shakes his head. "So what is the difference of what you just said and what I said?"

Kyūbi looks him straight in the eyes. **"The intent."**

Now Naruto is thoroughly confused.

"**If you train just to get stronger to keep Hiromi and I on the sidelines, then you will distance yourself from us and your friends. You would be no better than the emotionless shell you were before. No scratch that. It would be worse than you being emotionless because we know how you feel about us but purposefully keeping us away anyways. How do you think that would make us feel?**

"**But if you get stronger to fight the demons by accepting help from us, you will allow us to help you get even stronger than you can by yourself. We can do this far easier with three of us than you taking the burden all on your shoulders. We can train together and grow closer on top of getting stronger.**

"**And besides, Hiromi and I are tough and we can take a lot of punishment. So don't worry so much about us. We will be fine."**

Before Naruto can answer, the door opens, revealing Tsunade. She looks surprised to see Naruto in Kyūbi's lap but it doesn't last for long.

"I'm glad to see you two up and talking. Now that you are feeling better maybe you can tell me what the hell happened?"

The two stumble for adequate words to describe what had happened.

"**The demons were…"**

"They were after me."

Tsunade looks surprised. Of all the answers, that wasn't one of them.

"Explain."

Naruto opens his mouth but Kyūbi stops him.

"**What Naruto means is that they fear what he can become. He is the second coming of the ****Rikudō Sennin. When the Sage pulled the Jūbi into himself, it gave him total control over demonic yoki and the demons all feared him for it. When he died, they all rejoiced and would have danced on his greave if they could have because they were free to do what they wished once more. **

"**Now when we were in Kiri, the demon I ripped apart was sent back to Hell and put back together who in turn told Lucifer that Naruto has the Rinnegan and is rapidly getting stronger. Lucifer, the strongest demon ever, seeks to cut him off before he can be able to control the demons. Even I don't come close to Lucifer's strength. It would take the Nanabi, Hachibi, and myself to take him on and even then it would be close."**

"So what tomb activates your control over yoki?"

Naruto scowls slightly. "The very last one and there are still two more to go before that."

Tsunade purses her lips. "So where is the next one?"

Naruto looks at Kyūbi as if confirming something before looking back at Tsunade. "We think that they are in Iwagakure and Kumogakure. So far the tombs have been at the sights of the major villages and correspond with the element. Fire Country for fire, Wind Country for wind, and so forth."

Tsunade scowls.

"If you are right, the one in Iwa could be very difficult. However, we could use the fact that we have the Tsuchikage in our holding cells to our advantage…"

"I wouldn't do that Hime."

The four occupants in the room turn to look at Jiraiya's form slipping through the window. His clothes are torn and sopping wet and he looks dead tired. He tosses something at Tsunade who catches it out of instinct.

"Don't tell me…"

"Yup. You are holding the most expensive and sought after kunai in the entire Elemental Nations. In that kunai is the Sanbi. Oh come on! Don't give me that look. It is not going to break just by touching it. You can even use it as a norm…"

Jiraiya is forced to jump out the window to avoid being skewered by the very same kunai.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

Jiraiya shrugs and pockets the kunai after he pulls it out of the wall and looks to his pupil and sees how he and his foxy lady are both squashed onto the tiny bed. He suddenly gets a perverted grin on his face.

"We weren't interrupting anything were we?"

Kyūbi fixes him with a deadly glare. **"Jiraiya, do I need to put you in your place again?"**

Kyūbi had caught Jiraiya peeking on her a week after she had been released. That hadn't ended well for the self proclaimed 'super pervert'. Kyūbi nearly castrated him and surprised them all by claiming that Naruto only had the right to look at her naked. That had gotten the ball rolling on her trying to 'bag and tag' Naruto.

Jiraiya waves her off. "Mah, give me a break. I just sealed the Sanbi and a little worn-out right now. I divert to my more rudimentary trains of thought while tired or running low on sleep."

Tsunade restrains herself from wiping Jiraiya off the face of the planet. "What were you saying you perv? And you better hurry. I'm not sure I can keep my fist from launching you into orbit for much longer."

Jiraiya wisely decides to get serious.

"As I was saying, I wouldn't use leverage for sparing Ōnoki's life as a way to get Naruto into Iwa. As soon as he steps foot within Tsuchi no Kuni he will be swarmed by Iwa ninja just wanting to get a bit of revenge for their humiliating defeat by Naruto's old man, Kage or no Kage telling them otherwise. Not only did he single handedly win the war for us, he also secured us a third of Iwa's B through S rank missions. After the war, Iwa went into a sharp decline for a number of years. It wasn't until Kyūbi's attack did Iwa start recovering as Konoha wasn't able to fulfill those extra missions."

They all are silent to contemplate Jiraiya's words.

"**Then I will parade him in."**

Three pairs of eyes fix Kyūbi with varying emotions ranging from interest to curious to outright worry. The room is silent, waiting for Kyūbi to elaborate.

"**We know that the one thing Iwa ninja respect above all above all else is power. If we make a grand show of parading not only their Kage but their Jinchūriki as well they will be far less likely to attack. On top of that, if Naruto rides on my head, it will show that he has 'control' of me or at least I am under his thumb. Though I personally prefer to be on top…"**Kyūbi trails off as if reminiscing.

Naruto and Jiraiya sport identical nosebleeds and Tsunade sighs and gets everyone back on track.

"That's good in theory but what about Akatsuki and the demons? I don't know why but we caught a break as Akatsuki has missed their opportunity to invade. I'm afraid that the second you step outside Konoha, the demons will attack again."

Suddenly Naruto remembers something.

"Oh, that reminds me that the grumpy dragon and weird rabbit wanted to talk to me. They said something about me being a hinge pin for the universe…"

Kyūbi's eyes go wide.

"**You…you talked to them? You talked to a Guardian?"**

Naruto gives her a confused look. "Well duh. They have to for me to tell you what they said. The dragon needs to get laid but the rabbit is cool…" _*SMACK*_

"**Baka, speak with more respect. We are very fortunate that Kami sent them or we would all be dead!" **Kyūbi berates her fiancé.

Naruto rubs the spot where Kyūbi hit him. "Fine, geeze. Just stop hitting me."

Kyūbi flashes Tsunade a victory sign who then goes back to running her hands through Naruto's hair.

Silence ensues. "So what now?"

All eyes find Tsunade.

Said woman sighs. "I don't know. We need more information on everything before we make our move so for now, just focus on getting better. When you are felling well enough, meet me at the Tower to go over what we know and the clue to the next Tomb."

Naruto nods and has one more question.

"So how did we fair?"

Tsunade sighs again. "All things considering, we did remarkably well. We faced down four Kage, three Jinchūriki, a half dozen Hidden Villages, a betrayal by Iwa, and a full out assault by a demon army. We suffered roughly forty percent losses and most of that was against the Iwa ninjas that were inside the village. It was a good thing that the Daimyo's personal guards and samurai division were here or we might have lost containment on the situation.

"Right now all eyes are on us to see what we are going to do. I sure as hell won't be the one that pulls the trigger that sparks the Fourth Shinobi War but I will demand reparations and restrictions. And they will agree because they can't risk war with three of the five great hidden villages when their own numbers and Kage are gone or captured. We can use this to our advantage but not too much. We don't want to fan the flames even more.

"Oh and that reminds me. Naruto, you have a visitor. I'll tell her that she can come in now."

Tsunade leaves the room while Naruto is confused. Jiraiya takes the opportunity to leave and get some sleep. In his trying to figure out who is visiting, Naruto takes notice of Kyūbi's hair…or the lack thereof. Her gorgeous hair that once went past her knees is now uneven and cut very badly.

"Kyu-chan…your hair."

Rather startled by the suddenness of Naruto bringing her attention to her hair, she has Naruto make a mirror out of water and suspends that 'mirror' right in front of her. She takes in her hair being cut.

"**Do you like it better short or long?"**

Naruto starts. He hadn't expected her to ask his opinion on her hair. He had expected her to lose it and rampage or at least comment about how long it took to grow it out. But she doesn't even think twice about changing.

"Uh…I'm not sure. It is…uh choppy right now," he stutters out. He is completely out of his element with this topic having never thought about a hair style for him much less gone to a barber shop. He didn't trust people with sharp objects around him.

Kyūbi however takes it in stride. Right before Naruto's eyes, her hair 'cleans' itself, fixing all the uneven ends, the choppy job (probably with a kunai). Her bangs shorten and the back seems to curl itself against her neck.

Naruto's voice catches in his throat. She looks HOT!

Kyūbi giggles at Naruto's stunned but awed face.

"**I take it you like it?"**

Naruto can only nod dumbly.

"**Good. Now that I'm feeling better, we can…catch up."**

The blood in Naruto's body for the first time flows in the proper direction when aroused. Kyūbi grins victoriously as she claims Naruto's mouth. At first they are tender, gentle. But slowly they grow more heated and passionate. Soon their tongues are battling each other with everything they have, making them groan.

"Uhem"

Naruto and Kyūbi turn and glare at the interruption but Naruto starts. Standing in front of him is Mei, the last person he ever expected to be in Konoha.

"Uh…hi?"

It didn't take a genius to see that Mei is a nervous wreck despite just defeating a Jinchūriki not a few days ago.

"Mei here came and defeated Yagura at the South gate and saved Fū too. And just so you know Naruto, your friends have been asking to see you but I'm keeping them away for now. Many of them saw your eyes. We will have to announce your Dōjutsu to the village and world."

Naruto groans. "Damn it! Why can't people just mind their own business? It isn't like I've got time to just sit and talk to anyone and everyone."

Naruto takes a deep breath and calms down. It helps that Kyūbi is rubbing his back soothingly.

"I would rather just gather them together and explain it then. I don't want my Dōjutsu getting out just yet. I'm pretty sure that Akatsuki doesn't know about my eyes just yet and I'd rather keep it that way."

"Whatever kid. It's your call. Just don't wait too long. I'm getting tired of being pestered," Tsunade says wearily.

As Tsunade leaves, Naruto turns his attention to Mei.

"So what are you doing here Mei? What happened after you left for the resistance?"

The red head finds a chair. "Well, I met up with the Resistance a few days after I abandoned the Mizukage. They were very suspicious of me but it helped that I had a tactical analysis of Kiri as well as current troop numbers and guard rotations with me. I was relocated to menial tasks such as repairing buildings and walls with my Kekkei Genkai. After a few weeks of that, I joined a battle group. We fought a few battles, all were successful since the loyalists had nothing to counter my Lava and Boil jutsu.

"They started to trust me more and I move up to squad leader. One day I was brought to the War Room. There I was told that they had received intelligence that Yagura had left the village with a large number of shinobi and headed out of Mizu no Kuni. At first the Commander didn't believe the reports but it was confirmed by several others within the village itself.

"They asked for opinions on the easiest way into the village and I gave them the Anbu entrances and the locations of the Anbu headquarters, barracks, and armories. The Commander wanted to take advantage of the situation immediately and ordered an all out assault on Kiri.

"When I asked where Yagura went, I was told that Yagura was headed for Fire County. I put some things together and figured that Yagura was invading. I knew that Yagura didn't have enough shinobi with him to conquer Konoha so he must have reinforcements.

"I begged the Commander to let me go and help Konoha. At first he wouldn't let me but I kept on it, eventually saying that the reason I defected was because of a Konoha shinobi and that it was you who gave me the tactical analysis of Kirin add the surrounding areas. He eventually gave in under the condition that I would stay here and be the liaison for the new Mizukage.

"I accepted and hauled ass to get here and arrived just as he was about to kill Fū. I sent Fū inside the walls. Yagura…he…he told me he loved me and that is why he didn't kill me."

Mei falls into silence, clearly still disturbed by what he said.

"**Mei"**

Said woman looks up.

"**Forget about what he said. Love doesn't come from just knowing or seeing someone. Loving someone means accepting someone completely, even if they have bad habits or things about them you don't like. It comes from knowing them and their likes, dislikes, beliefs, their favorite foods, what their hobbies are, what their dreams are. **

"**When I was sealed inside Naruto, I knew him like no one else. I saw his dreams, his need to be accepted, his drive to be Hokage. My heart bled for him when his heart was crushed by that bitch named Sakura. I know what he likes to eat, I know what his favorite colors are, I know he wants to meet his parents again, how he wants nothing more than to have a family. I know him inside out and I can say that I love him with more than my life.**

"**Yagura didn't love you. As far as I can tell, the most interaction he had with you was for missions and debriefs. You have a bloodline, he wages a war against bloodline users. He could never accept you fully. To say that he loved you is an affront to what real love is. So don't believe for a second that he truly loved you."**

Mei looks down while Naruto is red from her words about him. Needless to say that she was spot on with all of them.

"T…thanks Kyūbi-san.

"Anyways, I fought Yagura and killed the shinobi he brought with him. I ended up killing Yagura with my strongest technique and released the Sanbi. Luckily the demons decided to attack right then so the Sanbi high tailed it out of there…or as fast a large, hundred foot turtle can.

"I was admitted to the hospital for minor yoki burns but it was easily healed. During treatment, I received a message from the Commander. They have taken Kiri. The war is over."

Naruto can Kyūbi can see the relief spread through her body at that declaration.

"That secures my position here and as my first act as liaison, the new Mizukage wishes for a trade alliance with Hi no Kuni and possibly a military one with Konoha should the village survive. So far as I know this village still stands."

Naruto gets up and gives Mei a warm hug. He breaks away tactfully, not there too short to be rude but not long enough to show too much affection. He gently leads her by the arm to where Kyūbi lays and the red head gives her a hug too.

"**Congratulations. What will you do now?"**

Mei bites her lower lip but decides the truth is the best.

"I partially came here to see Naruto again and I had hoped that…"

"**That you could become involved with Naru-kun?"** Kyūbi finishes.

Mei flinches and closes her eyes in preparation to be beaten down by the possessive Bijū. In the Tomb near Kiri, she felt and saw just how protective and possessive Kyūbi and Hiromi were of Naruto.

But the hit never comes. She opens an eye to find Kyūbi looking at her with an amused look.

"**It just so happens that Naru-kun has to marry three wives as he activated the CRA. We need a third and you would be nice as we already know you and you know us."**

Mei's eyes water. "You mean…you mean I have a shot?" Kyūbi nods and suddenly finds herself wrapped in a hug from a tearful Mei.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she chants as she hugs Kyūbi.

Said demon pats Mei's back and the emotional woman backs away. Kyūbi then gets serious.

"**Another reason is you also know that if you do anything to hurt him, your life is forfeit."**

Kyūbi glowers and spikes her yoki at Mei. Said woman pales considerably and nods rapidly.

Naruto is silent the whole time, allowing Kyūbi to do this. Really he doesn't care who it is just so long as he loves her, she loves him, and Kyūbi and Hiromi approve.

"You know, news about you being out spread like wild fire." That draws both their attention sharply to Mei. "All of the civilians were evacuated by the time the demons rolled around, so they didn't see you. The Shinobi on the other hand…they say everything and the rumors were off."

"**I suppose they are calling for Naru-kun and my head by now."**

Mei shakes her head. "That's the interesting part. The Shinobi on the newly sealed gate spread how you saved them from being crushed by those large…things and how you defended the village. Most of the Shinobi are re-evaluating what they think of you. The villagers don't believe a word of it though. Not surprising given the history of this place.

"And those Jinchūriki…most were talking between each other but one green haired girl…she had sort of an aura of death around her."

Naruto starts. He had completely forgotten about Fū! She had to have a lot of questions for him right now. However, Fū is pretty low on his priorities right now.

"Thanks for tell us Mei-san. You have given us foresight into problems that may arise in the future." Naruto creates a shadow clone. "This clone will take you to my clan housing. I'm sure that Ba-chan will find more appropriate quarters for you soon but the VIP hotel is probably gone since it is very close to the Hokage Tower and the Stadium which is where most of the Iwa ninjas were when they attacked.

"If you don't mind, Kyu and I have some business with Ba-chan."

Mei nods her understanding and follows the clone out of the window. As soon as she is gone, Naruto turns to Kyūbi.

"Do you have the strength to stand and walk?"

Kyūbi nods, though thoroughly confused.

"**Yes but what…?"**

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

In front of Naruto stands two tiny dragons. Naruto opens Kyūbi's chart and tears a couple pieces of paper and uses his fire manipulation to burn a message into them. He hands one to each dragon.

"Take this to Ba-chan and tell me what she thinks." He turns to the other dragon. "Take this to Hiromi and wait for a response then come back and tell me."

"**Naruto...what are you doing?"**

Naruto turns to Kyūbi, a serious expression on his face.

"Tell me…want to get married today?"

Kyūbi's voice catches in her throat.

"**Wh…what? Why this all of a sudden?"**

Naruto climbs into the tiny bed with Kyūbi again and puts his arm around her shoulder.

"**You're being very affectionate today…"** she whispers though he hears it. In truth she loves it but would be a bad friend and lover if she ignored it. While he usually isn't the one to instigate contact, he doesn't shy away from it. But he is

"I…I don't know. I just…I feel this…this need to marry you. Like urgently. I don't know how to explain it. It's like a hot iron in my chest that burns me when I don't think about marrying you or Hiromi as quick as possible. When I do, it settles for just being warm…"

Kyūbi frowns. His urgency could be attributed to several things. First and the one she hopes it true: he could be afraid to have a repeat of the battle and is making the most of his time. Second: Kami could be manipulating him into speeding things up so she can meet him. Third: someone is controlling his emotions for unknown reasons to hurry things along, like Lucifer to get him out of the village to kill him.

The last two make her wary. She doesn't like her mate and soon to be husband to be manipulated at all, even if it is towards something that she wants personally. But she isn't self absorbed enough to ignorant just so she gets what she wants.

But until there is more, all she can do is agree.

"**Yes, Naruto. I will marry you…but only if Ryū-chan is able to."**

Naruto grins infectiously, something that he doesn't do enough. He moves to kiss her but a _*poof *_of smoke and a one of the messenger dragons returns. The young red and golden dragon opens her mouth and out comes a piece of paper.

Naruto grabs it and reads it.

"It's from Hiromi and she says she'll do it. She needs some time to get ready and says to summon her right before we do it." He turns to Kyūbi to say something when the other dragon flies through the window.

"What did Ba-chan say?" he asks immediately.

Naruto waits for the messenger dragon to deliver the message when suddenly he finds himself buried into the wall. When he looks at the offender, he finds the dragon prostrating himself in submission.

"**F…forgive me Naruto-sama but the Hokage said to hit you as hard as possible."**

Naruto grunts and pulls himself out of the wall. "And you listened to her?"

The dragon has the decency to look embarrassed. **"W…well, she promised me a free meal of…never mind. Along with the hit she says 'Not to make rash decisions on the fly that concern her' and 'I'm not going to do it now. I have the villagers railing for your execution and a third of the village destroyed.'"**

Naruto scowls. "Fine. Go back to Ba-chan and tell her that my fiancés and I are going to meet with Kami's forces. When I come back, I will marry them even if I have to go to someone else. After giving her the message, go and tell Hiromi I will summon her in five minutes and not to dress for a wedding."

The dragon nods and disappears.

Naruto waits patiently for five minutes to pass. In the meantime, Kyūbi, who has recovered enough yoki to do so, changes into something a little more comfortable. Around her materializes a pair of skin tight jeans along with a shirt that is far too small for her. The only question is if she is wearing any underwear under her jeans as she sure isn't under the shirt.

All in all, Naruto likes Kyūbi's new look. While her hear isn't quite as flowing, the new style frames her face better and is no less glossy and silky. Neither speak, both just preferring to keep the comfortable silence.

That is, until the silence is broken by a summoning jutsu. When the smoke fades, a peeved Hiromi stands in the center of the room. She quickly looks to Naruto.

"**Alright…what's going on?"**

What a loaded question.

"Do you want the full version or the condensed?"

Hiromi raises an eyebrow at her lover.

"**Full. I'd rather not have any surprises later."**

Naruto nods and gives her just the short version of everything. Though she is a little upset that Kyu told Mei that she had a chance without talking to her first, she decides to leave it be for now. She also isn't happy that Tsunade wouldn't marry them right now but understands as a fellow leader that she can't just drop everything for one person at the drop of a hat, especially whose village was just attacked.

Hiromi decides to bring up a different issue.

"**So what made you change your hair?"** she asks with genuine curiosity.

Kyūbi shrugs.

"**It was already short from being cut from surgery. I could have made it go back to its original length but I thing Naru-kun likes it this way."**

Hiromi raises an eyebrow at Naruto.

"It makes her unique. I think it works for her just like your hair works for you. Both of you are different and that's partially what I love about you both."

Hiromi feels her face heat up at the words of encouragement and sees Kyūbi's face do the same. Naruto opens his mouth when he spots something he should have before.

"Why isn't your arm in a sling anymore, Hiromi-chan?"

Said dragon looks to her arm and remembers why.

"**Well, the healers in my village came up with a new medical treatment. It combines healing jutsu, herbs, and a cast that encourages the healing of broken bones and other internal injuries. I have no idea how it works and I didn't even know about it until I got back. **

"**On a side note, Hitomi got Manda really good and is in the process of making me a purse out of his skin."**

Naruto grins at that. He felt so bad for Hitomi and is very glad she got that snake (literally) back. He walks over to Kyu and Hiromi and places a hand on each of their shoulders. However, he turns to look at the corner.

"Yugito, you are free to do what you wish for now. Just remember that things will not like the punishment Kyu and I will give you should you get captured."

The blond woman lets her Genjutsu go and bows to both Kyu and Naruto.

"Of course Masters. I will not fail you. And Thank you," before leaving the three.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road. I'm not looking forward to this."

In a flash, the three of them are gone Shunshin as a nurse comes in to check on them.

**Fields outside Konoha**

Kyūbi turns to Naruto as soon as they arrive.

"**Why did I smell her arousal when you commanded her?"**

Naruto frowns. "I don't know but I…helped her with her...addiction since you were incapacitated at the time. She said it had been a few days since her last…treatment. And thanks for the advice about the towel."

Hiromi looks confused but drops it while Kyu scowls.

'**That hussy. I treated her when I checked on her not two days before the fighting. I'll deal with her later.'**

The three of them stand around…and wait…awkwardly.

"So…what's happening?" Hiromi voices nervously.

Naruto scratches his head. "Ah…the rabbit…ow…and that prude of a…ow! Stop hitting me!"

Kyūbi smirks which totally melts any sternness her glare holds.

"**I will…when you start showing some respect."**

Naruto huffs and goes back to thinking. "He said…said…ah! BAHAMUT! CARBUNCLE!"

Hiromi's eyes go wide as the sky cracks with thunder and lightning. The clouds darken and blots out the sun as they start to swirl. Suddenly a large bolt of lightning strikes the ground, temporarily blinding them all.

Standing before them is Bahamut, king of the dragons and unquestioned ruler of the skies.

"**You have summoned me mortal. It is time to…"**

The mighty dragon stops talking and looks intently to the ground. Kyūbi and Naruto blink out the lights and follow the dragon's line of sight.

Where Hiromi once stood, is now the dragon woman on all fours, her head to the ground in submission and reverence.

Bahamut scoffs and chuckles. **"Finally some damn respect. You may rise, Hiromi of the Storm Dragon."**

And the buxom blond does just that, though she keeps her eyes to the ground.

"Thank you for your graciousness, my king."

Naruto and Kyūbi both raise a few eyebrows while Bahamut nods in approval.

"I thought I was your king…" Naruto says quietly though _everyone _ heard him.

In a flash, Naruto is decked and _into_ the ground by Hiromi. Said dragon turns and bows again to the dragon.

"I apologize. Naru-kun is very young and has yet learned to respect his elders and betters."

She then turns to Naruto and helps him out of the 'me sized' hole in the ground. She sets him down and she can almost see the tiny birds flying around his head.

"You are king of my heart but he is…you know…my king…literally. He is not only my patron to Kami but my progenitor of my species. Even the clan head must be approved by him. He was the one who originally forged the contract between the Uzumaki and my people.

"So please show some respect. I don't want to have to pick up your ashes."

"**Ah, it is about time. Kami was getting impatient and trust me when I say you don't want her in anything but a good mood."**

The three of them look to see the large blue-green 'rabbit' with the large ruby in its forehead.

"**So since we are all here, let's get a move on."**

Carbuncle's ruby flashes, whiting out everything. When their vision comes back, they are standing in a large room with a lot of people standing in it. However, there is a dais and on that dais are four chairs, three of which are being sat in. Two women of impossible beauty on the left and a rather skinny looking male just to their right.

The first of the two women (the far left) stands, gathering their attention. Naruto is very surprised when, instead of a booming, all powerful voice, she has a light and warming voice while still being authoritative at the same time.

"Welcome to Valhalla, throne of those who oversee everything. I am Asami, goddess of creation. Next is Kami, goddess of life. Next is Shinigami, the god of the dead. Kratos, the god of chaos and destruction, would be sitting here but he is locked up…for the moment.

"Come. We have much to discuss."

Out of nowhere, three chairs find themselves in existence at the bottom of the dais. Taking the cue, Naruto and his fiancé find their seats.

"Now, you have been summoned here but first do you have any questions?" the one known as Kami asks.

"I have one."

The two fiancé of Naruto look at him in wonder. Apparently Naruto does have a limit to just how powerful a being has to be before giving respect.

"Who are all these people and why me?"

Asami smirks. "I will get to the second one later but to answer your first questions…these are all deities and messengers or plain workers that help run Valhalla that have been created, conscripted, or asked to join over the many millennia we have existed. Each holds a different function.

"I have created Tsukuyomi, the deity of the moon. She traps the Jūbi's body within the moon and keeps the moon separate from the earth, while Gaia is the mother of all things green and growing. There is also Izanami, the deity of creation (i.e. birth and conception).

"Over there are Amaterasu, whose black flames purge all and Susanoo is god of storms. They were created by Kratos to do his work for him. He never created more than two because he liked to do the destruction himself most of the time.

"Yomi and Sarutahiko are the only ones that he made. Yomi ferries the souls to Shinigami while Sarutahiko guards the souls Shinigami hasn't gotten to yet. Amaterasu and Susanoo both answer to Shinigami as he is acting God of destruction.

"For Kami…she has Ame no Uzume, goddess of dawn, mirth and revelry, Izanagi, and Inari, the deity of a lot of things.

"Any more questions? If not, let's get started."

Surprisingly, Shinigami starts it off.

"I know you know this from the tombs but I will go over it again in case you missed anything. Kratos along with the other gods and goddess gave our power to Asami in the beginning. With our power, she was able to create the universe and everything within it. And thus we settled into our roles: Asami creates, Kami dictates, Kratos destroys and causes general mayhem, and I collect the souls when it is time to pass on or when Kratos has his…fun.

"This system worked for a long while before Kratos became discontented with his current level of destruction. He craved more and caused more. Each day, I would have more souls come to me than the previous one. Something had to be done.

"Unknown to us though, he had already planned for this. He wished to destroy the universe, Asami's ultimate creation, her crowning achievement. He had sent down the Jūbi and his deities to wreck as much havoc as possible before turning his sights on a grander scale.

"Kami and Asami created and chose the Rikudō Sennin to deal with the Jūbi. When the creature was sealed and then split up, we turned our attention to Kratos. We tried to talk him down from the proverbial ledge but he wouldn't have it.

"A fight broke out and it damn near destroyed the universe as he intended. Unable to defeat him, we settled for locking him away for all eternity. Should he escape, I'm not sure we can stop him a second time."

"This is where you come in."

Naruto and company look to Kami.

"There is an anomaly within your timeline. A man has existed for far too long and has evaded Shinigami's agents for many decades. His name is Uchiha Madara and has one goal: to unite the Bijū together and recreate the Jūbi. He will then seal the newly reformed Jūbi into himself and place the world under an enormous Genjutsu, making himself ruler.

"This must not happen. Madara has no understanding of the Jūbi and its powers. Should he recreate it, it will not only rampage but do something far worse…

"It will gather the demons it split off itself…and then return to Kratos, freeing him once more."

The silence in the room is palpable.

"Like us, Kratos split his power to create his deities. That creation leaves us temporarily weakened until we can regain the lost strength. Kratos hadn't yet recovered from his creating the Jūbi before attacking. That monstrosity he created could very well be considered a deity all on its own with the power he gave it.

"Anyways, he wasn't at full strength when we fought and good thing too. If he had been…well, we wouldn't be talking about this."

Kami sees Naruto's confused face.

"The point is, when we locked Kratos away, we made sure that he couldn't recover past what he had when he started the fight, meaning he is still missing the Jūbi's power. Kratos is calling to his lost power of Amaterasu and Susanoo as well as the pieces of the Jūbi. We have reduced his calling of Amaterasu and Susanoo but there is no getting rid of it. He will always call for them.

"Just like he calls his deities, should the Jūbi reform it will return to its creator to which he will have his full strength, allowing him to break free of the prison we created."

"You must complete the tombs and assume your roll of the Nidaime Rikudō Sennin. Only then will you have the power to combat Uchiha Madara and save the universe from destruction.

"Now to answer your earlier question…we chose you before you were born to do great things. We used Madara's plans to our advantage. Not once since the Rikudō Sennin has someone with such potential come about. The Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, the last Uzumaki and heir to the Uzumaki's most treasured artifacts, son of the legendary Yondaime Hokage, summoner of the dragons, half demon, able to wield the Mestuki no Kami (Eyes of God), use holy jutsu. You are exactly what we were waiting for."

Naruto is silent in thought as are his fiancé.

"So what about Madara do you know?" Kyūbi asks.

Kami takes her cue.

"Nothing extraordinary about him until he and his brother developed the final stage of the Sharingan separately and without killing each other. Once he realized that his sight was leaving him, he killed his brother and took his eyes. Somehow, this made the degradation of the Sharingan stop as well as his body, granting him the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

"After losing to Hashirama, he falls of the grid and little is known about his activities since then. All we know is that he made Kyūbi attack Konoha and he is forming a group to go after the nine Bijū but other than that, he is a complete mystery.

"You will have to get much stronger in order to face the challenges ahead of you. We aren't going to tell you what they are, but trust me when I say that you haven't scratched the surface of what's to come. Make no mistake, we wish for you to be victorious, but getting handouts from us will not help you . You and you alone must triumph in this.

"However, before we forget…"

Kami snaps her fingers and in Naruto's hands is his breastplate. Naruto immediately puts it on, feeling much better with it on.

_Welcome back Master Naruto. I was beginning to worry if you would ever come to retrieve me._

Naruto ignored the obvious jab at his punctuality.

"Thank you…so what happens now? I know there are still three tombs left but as soon as I move out of the village, the demons will just attack me."

From the crowd of assorted deities and other important figures in Valhalla, one moves forward to be beside the three in front of the dais.

"That is why these she will be teaching you. She knows holy jutsu as well as many things from Ninjutsu to speed."

Naruto turns his head and his world stops. Standing right in front of him is his mother, Kushina Uzumaki. Only now her hair is white and her eyes golden. But other than that, she is identical to the Kushina the sword had imprinted. The wears a short white toga like dress that wraps around her body and is lose while being tight enough to not hinder her movements.

"Hello, Naruto. I'm sure you know who I am. I was granted a spot as a…messenger and warrior of sorts for Kami. She is always on the lookout for souls to help her rule. I was lucky enough to be chosen or perhaps that was her plan all along. I was very excited to learn that I was going to be able to meet you."

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Hiromi asks Kami.

In truth, Hiromi is a little jealous. Now Naruto has another woman in his life that has another connection to him that she can't compete with. However, her curiosity is sky rocketing past her jealousy.

"Because it is the least I can do. I made him go through some pretty horrible things so I thought he deserved a break. Between having you two plus two more _and _his mother back, I owe him that much. Plus his road will not be easy and will need all the help he can get."

Hiromi seems to accept the answer but doesn't like it.

"As for the demons, we shall have a few Guardians standing by to jump in should you encounter any demons that you can't handle. Though between a Storm Dragon, Kyūbi, The Samsara eyes, and a Valkyrie you can probably handle a lot."

Nobody replies to that. All eyes are on Asami as she stands, as do her fellow rulers.

"I think our time is at an end. You now know the severity of the situation and why you must not fail. We will contact you should we find out anything else or if you are needed somewhere specific. On the plus side…I do believe you have a wedding to get to."

In the blink of an eye, the four of them are standing in the same clearing they were before, only several hours later and the sun is setting. Wait four?

Naruto is suddenly smothered by an emotional Kushina. He has no choice but to hug her back but motions for the other two to move in. He is grateful when they do so. It makes it not quite to awkward to have a gorgeous woman, who the mother you never knew, smash herself up against you.

She quickly calms down and runs her eyes over him.

"My boy…you have grown up so much. I'm…"

"If you're going to apologize, forget it. I don't need an apology for something that was out of your control."

She looks like she wants to press the issue but decides to back off for now.

"Kyu, Hiromi. How do you want to do this?"

Kyu instantly shrugs, being a Bijū, she never paid attention to such things as marriage as she has no need to give it any time out of her day. They both turn their eyes to Hiromi, who shrinks back a little bit.

"Well…I would love a huge ceremony with a lot of people there to show you off, but that wouldn't be practical. In my village, mating is the same as marriage so we never had a ceremony, just a ritual to be performed privately."

After a few minutes of debate, they decide upon a simple way to go about it. Naruto sends another messenger to Tsunade while the girls run off to a clothing store, leaving Naruto to get formal attire and the rings.

As for Kushina…they all agreed, even herself, it would be best to not reveal that she is back, even if it is temporarily. She takes off for the Namikaze clan house. Naruto had insisted that she take the master bedroom like before, but she vehemently refused claiming that he is the head now and needs to sleep there. She will take one of the unoccupied clan houses that doesn't house an ambassador or Jinchūriki.

After a short time of going to the jewelers and finding appropriate rings he finds himself some formal attire. Nothing too fancy but still appropriate to get married in. After that, he picks up the rings that we put on double rush to get done in time.

When he finished that, he used a Shunshin to get to the Hokage tower. A short ceremony later with two very gorgeously dressed women, three matching gold rings, and a signed marriage certificate, Naruto takes his new brides to his compound, leaving Tsunade to finish the mountain of paperwork required for such a marriage.

However, there was one small hiccup. Kyūbi can't get married as Kyūbi. So Naruto came up with a name on the spot.

**Flashback**

"**What do you mean I have to chose another name?"** Kyūbi yells at Tsunade.

Said woman lets out an annoyed sigh. "Look, there is no way anyone will approve of this of the name 'Kyūbi no Yoki' is on the marriage license! And before you ask, yes I will marry you but that marriage has to be submitted to the IMLC (The International Marriage License Committee) before it will be legal and none of them will approve you no matter how much pushing I do."

Kyūbi huffs and concedes.

"**Fine. Anyone have any suggestions?"**

"How about Chiyo?"* Naruto suggests lightly

Kyūbi glares at him while crossing her arms under her breasts in a decidedly feminine way.

"**Are you calling me old? Think carefully before answering that question."**

Naruto chuckles.

"I'm only kidding. How about…Manami?"

The three present woman blink. That is surprisingly a good name.

"**Affectionate beauty? I like it. Let's do this!"**

***(From this point on, Kyūbi will be called Manami most of the time. Get used to it)***

The newly named Manami, Hiromi, and Naruto face Tsunade as starts the ceremony.

**End Flashback**

As they walk through the compound, he starts to head towards his clan house, only to be stopped by his wives. That feels so weird to call them that.

"Kushina was right. You are clan head and need to be where you belong."

"We will be right beside you the whole way. You don't have to be afraid."

Seeing how he is outnumbered and outgunned with his arms being pushed between their massive breasts, he gives in. They make their way to the stairs between the second and third floors of the Clan Center. His hand reaches for the door and finds it frozen again, just like last time.

However, he finds two sets of soft hands pushing the arm forward until the hand is around the knob. They give him a comforting smile and he turns the knob and opens the door. It is too dark to really see anything but the moon through the windows makes navigating easier. Having a dragon who has excellent night vision has its perks.

Hiromi leads them through the floor, looking in each of the half dozen rooms. She hides her tears and emotions…or tries to. She is surprised when Kyūbi pulls both her husband and her wife into a hug and pushes them forward. The last door on the floor at the very end leads to the master bedroom.

They enter but don't turn on the light. Hiromi guides them all to the large bed with a sheets made and clean from the seals placed around each house and building.

They sit there for a minute, not sure of what to do. Then Kyūbi does something neither expected.

"**Go ahead and have him tonight, Ryū-chan. I'll get him tomorrow or later."**

The dragon is stunned, flabbergasted, shocked, and whatever other word fits.

"But…but you've known him longer. I thought you would like to be his first."

Kyūbi smiles at her harem sister. "I would. In fact I would love to." Hiromi opens her mouth when she silences her with a slim finger. "But, I've seen your frustration, your circumstances that keep making you leave, the insecurity that he will pick someone over you. If this relationship is going to work, we all have to compromise, and I'm giving you the chance to have him first."

Hiromi looks ready to cry and hugs Kyūbi tightly, whispering her thanks.

With that settled, all three of them strip with only Hiromi really able to see well in the low light. When Hiromi and Naruto are completely naked, she guides Naruto down to the bed. They lay side by side for a second.

"We don't have to do this."

Hiromi bites her lip and kisses him. "But I want to…"

Seeing as how she is sure, Naruto kisses back fervently. They kiss and swap tongues for a while, while rubbing up against each other.

Suddenly Naruto rolls on top of Hiromi, making her groan in appreciation. Takes a hand and lightly massages her large breasts, earning a low moan from her. Her pleasure continues to rise as Naruto's head slips downward and captures her right breast in his mouth.

She shouts at the unexpected warm suction feeling while his other hand continues to massage her. He switches breasts after a minute or so, making her shiver from the suddenness of the cold air on her very hard nipple.

"Naruto…" she moans.

Her hands aren't idle as he imitates a baby. She roams his muscles on his back, arms, neck, his hair and face. She takes it all in and is turned on even more just thinking about all those hard muscles.

Her world is broken up when he breaks off from her chest and captures her with another kiss. They battle it out with no clear winner though her temperature sky rockets when his hands run up and down her sides.

"Enough. I want you now."

Already at full mast, Naruto reaches down and maneuvers himself but stops short of doing the deed.

"Are you sure? We can stop at any time."

Hiromi's only response is to take her legs and pull him inside. All the way.

They both cry out in pleasure and pain as Naruto bottoms out. While he isn't large, he is no means small. Hiromi could try to determine his size if she could form any kind of coherent thought. All she can focus on is the white hot, throbbing in time with his heartbeat, man meat. The heat sooths the small pain of being stretched for the first time but this is nothing compared to the size of a dragon in true form. Her walls are made to accommodate much larger cocks in both girth and length. That doesn't mean she isn't tight, just that it isn't very painful for her.

Naruto waits with held breath. He is afraid of her being in pain from what he heard of what normally happens. That thought, as well as any other thoughts, are blasted away when she bucks her hips not ten seconds after getting penetrated.

"You can move. I'm not in pain."

In response to her, he starts out slow, not sure of how fast or his own limit. He finds that despite this being his first time, he is doing just fine. Her walls may be tight, but they are very slippery, like she is making too much lubrication.

He builds up speed, much to Hiromi's pleasure.

"Mmmm…faster."

Naruto complies and goes as fast as he dares, which isn't all that fast. But for the first timers, it is perfect. Naruto can feel his end approaching and decides to warn his lover.

"I'm…I'm close."

Hiromi isn't. Not to say she isn't enjoying it, but being a dragon on top of a woman means that she has more stamina than he does at this point.

"Keep going. Don't hold back. I'm on a contraceptive."

A few seconds later, Naruto releases into her. She holds him close as pleasure wracks his body. She finds it a weird sensation to have his gunk in her.

"How…how was that for you?" he asks.

In other words, 'did you get off?'

"I loved it. Everything I could have hoped for my first time."

"So you didn't…"

She hears the disappointment in his voice and she rushes to head off the direction he is going.

"No, but that isn't unexpected. Men are naturally lower in stamina initially than woman. I'm sure…"

She is cut off when Naruto suddenly starts sawing into her around the speed he had going last time but this time with a lot more power behind it.

"Wh…what are you doing?" she asks between thrusts. She had no warning to the pleasure inducing stabs into her willing and welcoming love hole. She thought he had gone limp and ready to call it a night.

Apparently not.

Naruto doesn't answer but makes his determination so see her orgasm by moving up slightly on her and using his body weight to power his thrusts, making her cry out with pleasure.

"Right there! Don't stop!"

He has no intention to. He continues to hammer into her, gradually getting faster. He focuses his mind on the woman writhing beneath him, making sure to have her feel the same pleasure he felt. He multitasks and finds a breast with his left hand and kisses her at the same time while his right arm is over her head to keep himself up.

Naruto feels her moan loudly into his mouth and feels her walls shudder before clamping down in him. He lets her scream into his mouth as her pussy claims his baby batter. They stay connected as Naruto collapses on a sweaty Hiromi. Again they just hold each other close as they come down from their highs.

"That…I could get used to that," Hiromi breathes out.

Naruto nods in agreement as he slides to the side and out of Hiromi. They feel the bed shift and Naruto feels Kyūbi lay herself on his chest. Of course, she is naked as they are.

"Are you ready Manami-chan?" he asks with a tone of playfulness.

The red head smiles at his attempt but there is no mistaking the tiredness in his voice.

"**Go to sleep. You've had a long day and I can wait. I don't want you falling asleep on me."**

Naruto doesn't protest and they all climb under the covers and away from the mess made earlier. It is with Naruto in the middle with a fox demon and a Storm Dragon curled up next to him, that they fall asleep for the first time as husband and wives.

* * *

End Chapter 9

AN: Dead god, nine chapters already. I feel like it had only been four or five.

*Chiyo means one thousand generations

Anyways, hoped you liked it. Kyubi or Manami will get her lemon later. When they are alone, they will go back and forth between Kyūbi and Manami but they will stick with her marriage name in public.

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So I wrote for four hours straight to get this out tonight. I hope I got the lemon right with being so tired.

Also...KUSHINA WILL NOT BE IN THE HAREM. Had to get that out. She is there temporarily and yes I named heaven Valhalla from Norse mythology as well as the Valkyries. You will find out more about them later.

Btw...Kushina was completely random. I needed a character to train Naruto and briefly considered having it be mystery wife #4 that I originally had planned but decided against it.

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*Poll concerning Naruto's fourth wife* on my profile. This is to see whether or not Yugito should replace Mystery Wife #4 in the harem. Just to give you a few hints about who it may be: she is not a junchiriki, she is not from Fire Country, and she is an older woman. It could go either way and I don't care. But if Yugito is not to be with Naruto, then she will end up with someone else in a loving relationship. (i.e. she will not be alone for the rest of her life.)

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Flame me, praise me, dis me, or question me, I don't care. It is feedback about my story and I will take it anyway I can get it ;)

Until next time,

tomhunt98


	10. Chapter 10: Some Catching Up to Do

So many of you aren't going to be happy with this chapter as this is closing up a few holes so far in the story. Next chapter will see Naruto get back on track towards ass-kicking goodness.

Review Responses:

to Rixxell Stryfe: I have to say, your review was awesome. I will definitely take your suggestions into account. Though, I must point out that the poll is popular opinion and doesn't dictate what will happen. I am using to the poll to see what the readers want to see but it really isn't a fair competition as nobody but me knows who the mystery woman is. Though if I do decide to use the original mystery character, Yugito will definitely have a lover of her own.

to Leaf Ranger: You act like Naruto is the only thing on the Gods' minds. It is a big world and Naruto's isn't the only one with their attention. Though his is the most important, to give away everything that will happen is taking away some of the things that would make him stronger. In my eyes, by giving him the future, they are changing it but by not telling him, they aren't giving him a choice but to go along their path as he doesn't know what their path is.

to Wyrtha: You will enjoy this chapter based off of your review. And thank you for your compliment on the way I brought Kushina back.

Now...on to the story!

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"An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.**"  
**-Buddha

**Chapter 10: Some Catching up to Do**

Naruto wakes early in the morning, his energy having been refilled from the previous nightly actions. However, he isn't the only one awake if his senses are correct.

He opens his eyes and lifts up the sheets to see one of the sexiest sights of his life. Kyūbi, or Manami for everyone else not in their circle, giving him a blow job with her short red hair and looking right in his eyes. He groans and closes his eyes as Kyūbi renews her vigor, sucking and licking his pole. Naruto groans and tries to hold it down for the blond who took his virginity last night is still sleeping next to him.

Kyūbi tries everything she knows, which is very extensive for someone who hasn't had sex yet. She sucks and slurps and licks and nips. She even flicks her tongue into the small hole on the tip. While her mouth works the tip, her left hand works the shaft and her right fondles his sack.

But for the recently de-virgined blond, it is all too much stimulation and he releases into his other wife's awaiting mouth. Kyūbi wastes none of it a swallows it all, making a show of it. If his penis had gone soft, there is no evidence of it now.

Kyūbi crawls over Naruto's slightly sweaty form with his labored breath and rests herself on top him.

**"I hope you liked that, koi." **Naruto can only nod and finds her as naked as he is. **"Good, because it is my turn to have you."**

Naruto is about to protest when Kyūbi rolls them away from Hiromi. But she rolls them twice so that she is still on top.

**"Just relax and let it happen."**

She smashes her lips onto his and despite having his own seed drank by the woman only moments ago, he doesn't hold back. He wrestles with her but loses to Kyūbi's sheer enthusiasm. They wage war with their tongues for a few more moments before Kyūbi backs away.

Naruto gasps when he feels her touch is rock hard tool and place it at her entrance. She crushes herself against him and gives him a nod.

**"Just do it and get it over with."**

He holds her close and then plunges himself into her. She tries to cry out but his mouth covers hers and muffles the scream. His hands find her cheeks and wipe away the tears while he stays completely still from the waist down. After a few agonizing moments, Kyūbi starts to move in earnest. Naruto picks up on it and starts to move with her, though slightly curious about her quick recovery.

**"Demonic healing is much greater than normal human's. You should know that."**

He mentally smacks himself over the head but soon forgets everything as Kyūbi picks up the pace. She rides him for all he is worth. At some point, he could no longer resist her swaying fun bags of flesh waving back and forth right in front of his face. He grabs them, squeezes them, sucks on them, tweaks and massages them. They are very squishy unlike Hiromi's. His hands sink into the flesh while Hiromi's are more firm and 'solid'. But he still loves them as he gets the best of both worlds.

Not long afterwards, Kyūbi releases onto him, the stimulus of his hands all over her chest and the dick inside her becomes too much. Due to her release, Naruto's release happens just seconds later. Kyūbi's mouth is open in a silent scream as she is filled with his seed for the first and definitely not the last time.

She comes down from her high and collapses on his chest. She feels his arms snake around her, drawing her in closer. Though she doesn't know it now, but Naruto loves the feeling of a naked woman laying on his chest. There is something about it that makes him feel complete, makes him feel human. He loves the feel of the warm breath on his neck, the feel of large but soft breasts mashed against his chest, the way her warmth adds and amplifies his. He feels…loved.

Naruto sighs, completely content with just staying like this forever.

**"So how was is?"**

Both look to see Hiromi looking at them with her deep purple eyes.

**"Better than I imagined,"** Kyu says honestly.

Hiromi moves to cuddle with them as Kyūbi makes room for her.

The three of them just lay there for a while until Naruto speaks.

"So how long were you awake?" he asks the dragon.

Hiromi looks to Kyūbi before both of them turn to him.

**"We were awake about a half hour before you. We wanted to wake up first to make sure you were ok."**

Naruto gives them a confused look.

**"Take a look around."**

And sits up despite the females on his chest and does just that. His eyes tear up as he sees what Hiromi saw last night.

In the pale light of the morning, he sees his parent's bedroom complete with clothing, jewelry, notes, but most of all pictures. Pictures that smile back at him with wide, happy grins. Pictures that tell a happy and or exciting story. Pictures that gives proof that his life would have been good if they had lived.

Naruto gets up and goes to a picture where Minato is kneeling in front of Kushina and has his ear to her expanded belly, his eyes closed. His face couldn't get any happier or more content than that moment. Kushina has a brilliant smile on her face as she looks down at her husband runs her fingers through his hair.

Naruto closes his eyes and nearly collapses to his knees but is caught by his wives. He openly cries while holding on to them like a life line. Hiromi and Kyūbi steer Naruto to the bed and all three of them crawl on it. They stay wrapped in with each other for quite some time while Naruto deals with this.

After a full twenty to thirty minutes, Naruto calms down enough to stop crying. He wipes his tears and smiles at them both. That smile makes them weak in the joints as it is not faked or forced but a true smile of gratitude.

"Thanks. I don't think I would be able to get through this without you both."

Hiromi and Kyūbi smiles back at him radiantly but it is Hiromi that moves forward and claims his mouth. Naruto doesn't hesitate to kiss back or to deepen this kiss. A small whimper from Kyūbi reminds Hiromi that she isn't the only one who wants some of the action.

So with a little reluctance, she pulls herself away only for her spot to immediately be taken by her harem sister. Kyūbi's kiss is no less in passion or intensity and leaves Naruto breathless.

She giggles when she sees his blank look when she backs away.

"You two are going to be the death of me."

Kyūbi's smirk is identical to Hiromi's.

**"But you will die happy and sated in every sense of the word,"** Kyūbi whispers huskily.

Naruto shivers not only from her tone but from the images that run through his mind.

**"But you won't die yet. We have many more…positions to try before then,"** Hiromi adds.

If Naruto's hard on could get any firmer, it could have been mistaken for steel.

Kyūbi notices his 'discomfort' and gets an idea.

**"Let's take a shower. We need to see what Tsunade wants for us to do but we could take our time..."**

She intentionally trails off.

All three of them share a look before they scramble for the large shower. After another two round with each of them and two hours later, they are finally clean and dressed. Luckily no one will notice that the hot water completely gone. Naruto has on his usual shades that hide his eyes while the girls have on tight fitting outfits that could kill via nosebleed.

**"Why not?" **both shout at the same time.

"Because Konoha will be annihilated if you two go out like that as I would have to kill every person who gets a nose bleed."

Both women sport light blushes but don't back down.

**"Forget about them. We aren't dressing like this for them. Only for you and you alone."**

**"We want to show off what hot women you have for wives. We want to show off."**

Naruto groans. "But I want to be the only one who looks at you two like that. I should be the only one who looks at you like that and clothes that nearly leave nothing to imagination doesn't help.

"Look, I know why you want to and personally I want to flaunt you both around too but not in those and not today. You both have beauty and sexy in spades, even without wearing those clothes. I'm not saying I don't appreciate the sentiment or that you can't ever dress up but not to just parade around. Please? For me?"

Kyūbi and Hiromi look down.

**"Does it matter that much to you?"**

Naruto nods and Kyūbi and Hiromi sigh and begin to strip. They put on shinobi pants and long sleeve shirts that are baggy enough to down size their busts but tight enough to entice Naruto. They also wear coats as it is getting later in the year and getting chilly in the mornings and nights.

**"Better?"**

Naruto gives them a hug.

"Much. Now let's go and pick up Kushina and go see Ba-chan."

They walk downstairs and see the white haired Kushina sitting in a chair reading a magazine.

She pretends to keep reading the magazine but subtly looks up and smiles as she sees Naruto's warm expression and relaxed demeanor.

"Who is this 'David Hasslehoff' and why was he voted the 'World's hottest man'?" she asks aloud as they near. They all read the title of the magazine to be Kunoichi Monthly: International Addition.

On the cover apparently this 'David Hasslehoff' and Hiromi and Kyūbi will both agree later on that he is somewhat attractive, he has nothing on Naruto.

"I don't know but we should go see Ba-chan before she is too inebriated to think straight."

Kushina gives a disapproving scowl at Tsunade's habits but Minato had his. Each to their own.

**Hokage Office**

Three figures appear in a column of fire inside the Hokage's office, making a half dozen Anbu appear in front of Tsunade to protect her. The other half dozen appear in a right circle around the 'intruders' with weapons drawn.

Then the fire goes down, Naruto and his new wives stand there and Tsunade scoffs.

"It would be you. Why didn't I think of that? Anbu, your dismissed."

The Anbu give Kyūbi a harsh look to which she gives them the finger as they vanish.

"So what do I have the honor? I thought you three would still be in bed?"

Naruto blushes as Tsunade snickers at his face.

**"You have no idea. He is absolutely amazing and just wait until you see his…"**

"Enough! I admit defeat already," Tsunade shouts as she covers her ears dramatically. This, of course, presents her large bust to the world. Naruto can almost feel the lecherous stare from Jiraiya.

"Get out here Jiraiya. This applies to you too."

Said pervert materializes from the wall.

"Damn no good brat. Always spoiling my research…"

As a tick mark appears on Tsunade's forehead, Hiromi leans over to Naruto.

**"Shouldn't we get this going? Kushina isn't going to wait forever."**

Naruto grunts in agreement. He steps in a prevents Jiraiya from being obliterated by defecting the orbit launcher that is Tsunade's fist. Jiraiya looks at him with stars in his eyes.

"I always knew you would come around…"

"Shut it. We came here to warn you…"

Suddenly a flash of white light blinds the room. Jiraiya and Tsunade find themselves buried within the walls.

"…about her."

The Hokage and Jiraiya pull themselves out and wonder what hit them until their eyes fall upon the worst sight they could have seen.

"Kush…"

_*Wham*_

_*Smack*_

_*Pow*_

_*Crunch*_

The white haired woman thrashes the both of them and the Anbu are surprisingly absent and not stopping the one woman from stomping a new mud hole in the two Sannin.

Kushina stops for a second to look back at her son and his family.

"You might want to go. This may take a while."

Naruto just shrugs. Who is he to argue with her? He knows from experience that it is just easier to give in and let her do what she wants.

Hiromi and Kyūbi press his arms into their chests before they disappear in a leaf Shunshin, this time courtesy of Naruto instead of Kyūbi.

**Scene Change – Streets**

They appear in the middle of some street as Naruto hadn't really cared one way or another.

"So what do you two want to do now that we have some down time?"

Both woman shrug and they walk down the street just wandering around, looking for something to catch their eyes. They are walking for only five minutes when they hear a familiar voice.

"Naruto?"

All three of them stop and look.

Shikamaru is standing there with Chōji and Ino.

"Oh…hey."

It is really clear that he doesn't know how to interact with them anymore.

Shikamaru detours from his path and walks over and to Naruto's surprise, shakes his hand.

"It's been a while. Hey, are you busy?"

Naruto shrugs.

"Na, not really. We were just walking around looking for something to do."

That's when Shikamaru notices the other two women. He blushes lightly at their sheer beauty rolling off of them in waves. Hell, they are making Ino blush.

Shikamaru gives them a polite nod of the head before turning back to Naruto.

"If you're not busy, why don't you come with us? We are on our way to our meeting that we go to twice a month. It will be the rookie six plus team ten."

Naruto looks to his wives who shrug also. They hide identical smirks because Naruto just got to see both of their breasts jiggle as neither are wearing bras. They see him smirk as he realizes it as well.

"Sure. I'm sure Ba-chan will be busy for a while anyways."

Shikamaru is confused by that but leaves it alone. The trip is silent as they walk down the street with Hiromi and Kyūbi taking up their usual spots. All three of the Ino-Shika-Cho squad blush when they do. They look to Naruto who only shrugs. Who is he to complain if two of the hottest and sexiest women on the planet want to put his arms between their large breasts?

Few minutes later, they arrive at a plain building with no name on the front, just a sign that says, 'Shinobi Only' in the front window. Shikamaru opens the door for the others as they file in. The lighting is barely above the bare minimum, the tables are far apart, and the atmosphere is quiet. In fact, he can't hear any conversation going on around him, just soft music played by a live band in the background.

Ino leads the group to the back of the restaurant, back towards the booths. Naruto spots the other 'rookie six plus three' along the back wall.

"Hey guys, look who we found," Ino announces to the others.

They all look up and their eyes go wide.

"Naruto!"

At once there is a clambering to get him seated. Tenten and Ino tried to sit next to him but Kyūbi and Hiromi blocked them off and sat next to him. That earns a glare from the younger Kunoichi but they shrug it off easily.

"So I think introductions are in order," Kiba says from the corner not bother to hide his staring.

Naruto suppresses the urge to wipe that smug and lecherous grin off Kiba's face but manages to restrain himself.

"Right. Hiromi is the blond while Manami is the red head."

Kiba's grin goes wider.

"Now Naruto, why would those lovely angels be walking around with a loser like you?"

This time, Naruto makes a move for his katana but stops when the waitress comes by. No need in getting kicked out within five minutes of arriving.

"Hello and good morning. My name is Shinobi cards please?"

Everyone but the obvious and Naruto pull theirs out and the waitress looks them over before returning them. She turns to Naruto and he hands her his. When she gives it back she looks expectantly to the only people who had not offered their licenses.

"Ma'am, in order to stay, I must see your shinobi license."

"They don't have one," Naruto interrupts. "But I can vouch that they are indeed shinobi of the highest caliber."

The waitress shakes her head. "I'm sorry but the rules are rules. I must have an I.D. that shows you at least have been a Shinobi or you will have to leave."

Naruto shoots her a glare, not that she can see it.

"Alright, we'll leave your nameless establishment."

The three of them make to get up but Shikamaru moves to intercept them.

"Wait. Isn't there a way they can stay? I am a Jōnin and I know Naruto is an Anbu. I'm sure his word is trustworthy enough to stay this once."

The waitress seems to consider it but then shakes her head. "I'm sorry but the only way they could stay is if they are or have been a shinobi or they are the spouse to a shinobi."

Naruto blanches.

"Really? Oh well, then problem solved."

Everyone looks at him expectantly to elaborate. Naruto sighs and lifts his left hand. On it is a simple gold band. A wedding band. That shocks them. But it blows their minds when Hiromi and 'Manami' put their left hands next to his. All three have the same style ring just shrunk down to fit their smaller fingers.

The whole table is quiet.

"Everyone, meet Hiromi and Manami Uzumaki, my wives."

Everyone stares while Hinata falls out of her chair, KO'd before the bell was even rung. The others have less severe reactions but still are quite stunned.

"Lucky bastard," Kiba mutters.

Slowly, everyone comes back from their stupor and the waitress just awkwardly disappears into the crowd. Ino and Tenten feel rather guilty for glaring at Naruto's wives now while Kiba is severely put out that two of the hottest women are taken by the same person.

"So Naruto…how have you been?"

It is a pitiful attempt to get things back on track but it's a start.

"Pretty good. We got married yesterday and most of you should know that the CRA has been applied to me seeing how you are all clan heirs and will be on the council one day."

The waitress comes back with menus and they all put their orders in. Needless to say that the waitress didn't linger.

"So what's up with this restaurant not having a name? And why is this place so set on shinobi only?"

Lee leans across the table. "That's just it. It has no name so when people talk about it, nobody listening in knows what they are referring to unless they have been here before. We just call it Nameless."

"And as for Shinobi only, you must have noticed the private atmosphere. This place is meant for shinobi to unwind and talk things through without the risk of people overhearing. The identification cards they ask for aren't just for making sure you're a shinobi but one of this village. They are highly trained to spot fakes and were set up by Tsunade at Jiraiya's request to help weed out spies," Shikamaru pipes in and fills in the rest.

Naruto nods in understanding. It makes enough sense to him. After all, this place would be magnet a meeting place for spies. It would also be ideal for a spy to operate such a place and put listening seals inside the booths to get what everyone says.

The waitress finally comes back to get their drink orders and what they want and leaves without saying two extra words.

Naruto looks at Shikamaru after that.

"So what's with the 'Rookie six'?"

"Well, with Sasuke gone and Sakura…we won't say anything about her. And you being gone…people forgot about you. So we became the Rookie Six. Team Ten never got lumped in with us as they are a part of their own year and not ours."

The guys then chat about training while the girls along with a newly revived Hinata discuss various things that women discuss.

"So Naruto, what was up with your eyes and why do you have sunglasses on?" Kiba asks suddenly.

All conversation stops and all eyes are on Naruto. Said person looks to his wives for their opinion. He is sadly disappointed when neither women give him anything to go off of.

'They are oddly acting in tune with each other without speaking to each other. I'll have to investigate later.'

Naruto stands. "I assume this has a privacy seal?"

The regulars nod.

"Chōji, switch places with me."

The large teen gets squashed between the goddesses, making him sport a large blush while the women on each side of him scowl at losing their 'pillow'. Naruto finds the privacy seal and activates it.

"Now don't freak out. I've got these eyes right after I left here for training with Jiraiya. It has to do with my heritage and ancestry. It's all very complicated and long so I won't go any further into it."

They all lean in as Naruto reaches up to his glasses. They hold in a collective breath as he takes off the glasses…

And face fault another pair of sunglasses is revealed. Kyūbi and Hiromi are snickering at them while Naruto is openly laughing at them. The group recovers quickly and hackles Naruto about the practical joke.

"Sorry, that was too good to pass up."

Slightly put off, the group once again intently looks at Naruto. He takes off his glasses, his eyes closed. When he opens them, the group gasps.

"The Rinnegan allows me to use all elemental affinities outside of bloodlines like ice and lava. That includes gravity. And I don't really want to go into how I have it, just suffice it to say that it is passed down through me Uzumaki blood but it is extremely rare for one to unlock it."

While the others assimilate the information, the food comes. Naruto moves back between his wives, leaving a slightly disappointed Chōji.

"Damn dude. If you had that in the Academy, there would have been no way you would have been dead last."

Naruto smiles cheekily at him. "Amazing how the 'dead last' can become 'top dog' in only three years."

Kiba growls at the jibe while the other chuckle at Kiba's expense.

The rest of breakfast goes quickly with a little talk about recent developments in their circle. Turns out Chōji is scheduled to take the Jōnin exams in two months while Ino is under the apprenticeship of another Yamanaka in the TI department, Ibiki.

Kiba is getting ready to study under his mother for clan head as is Shikamaru and Shino. Hinata is interning at the hospital as an herb expert.

The conversation is light and enjoyable…until one had to ruin it.

"So Manami, how is married life? Or should I say Kyūbi?"

All conversation stops. The Uzumaki family just stares at Shikamaru with restrained hostility. However, the genius isn't to be put off.

"She looks just like the woman you brought in and Tsunade and Shizune healed on her desk. You called her Kyūbi and we all saw Kyūbi a few days ago, out of your seal and very much free.

"And what of Hiromi? If that indeed is her name. Kiba, what does she smell like?"

Kiba seems to shrink back but takes a couple of sniffs of her.

"Like lilac and grass…god she smells good. Wait…under that, I'm…I'm not sure. I've never smelled anything like it…except…except when we saw that huge dragon in the training field!" Realization dawns on Kiba and points a finger at her.

"You're a dragon, aren't you?"

They are startled when Naruto stands up sharply.

"I think we've overextended our welcome."

The other two rise to go with him.

"Wait. I'm not attacking any of you. I just wanted the truth out in the open. Please sit," Shikamaru asks quickly as he attempts to salvage the situation. He had misjudged the effect it would have on Naruto.

Naruto glares at him. He neither sits nor continues to leave.

"I'm listening but make it quick. I won't stand for anyone insulting my wives. Anyone who has a problem with my wives has a problem with me."

In other words, 'if you have an issue with them, then don't expect me to be your friend'.

Shikamaru nods his head and continues without hesitation. "Look, from the stories we heard and read in our childhood, Kyūbi is supposed to be this giant magnet of destruction, death, and despair. However, a few days ago, _she_ showed us that we are wrong we she defended the very same village she attacked sixteen years ago.

"I can't speak for all of us, but I for one don't hold any hatred, hostility, or grudges against her. And if Hiromi is a dragon, she and her kind did help us and hasn't attacked us or shown any hostility to anyone…well anyone minus Sakura. Again, I don't have any resentment over her not being human."

Naruto looks around the table and sees Shikamaru's feelings on all their faces. He feels very relieved that he accepts his wives. He would have stopped being their friends had they shown resentment and wouldn't have thought twice about it. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't want their friendship.

Naruto retakes his seat.

"I'm glad you all feel that way because anyone who hates my wives is no friend of mine." All nine nod their heads in understanding.

"Yes, you are right. Manami is really the Kyūbi no Yoko. She was released over two years ago and since then has been nothing but supportive. It was with her efforts that I got over my fear of being hurt again along with Hiromi here. And yes, she is a dragon. Actually she the boss summons, the largest and strongest of the dragons."

He enjoys their gob smacked expressions. The conversation returns to what it was before, stopping only when a white haired woman shows up.

"Naruto, Hiromi, Manami. It's time to see the Hokage."

Said people stand and say their goodbyes and leaves with the mystery woman (to the others) out the door but of course, not before paying for their meals. Kushina shunshins away in a burst of white light that temporarily blinds the people in the restaurant.

"Who was she? I didn't recognize her," Ino asks.

Kiba wrinkles his nose. "I don't know but she didn't have a scent."

"You mean you couldn't smell her scent," Ino corrects.

"Damn it, Ino! She didn't have one as in nonexistent, not there. Akamaru confirmed it. She didn't have one. I know there are thirty four people working or eating in this place because each one has a distinct and unique smell. She didn't have one at all."

Shikamaru scowls as he takes a drink of his green tea and contemplates what Kiba just told him.

**Hokage's Office**

When the four arrive, they are stunned to see the Sannin in the condition they are in. All except Kushina who had dealt them the injuries.

"Good god mom. Were you that angry at them?"

Jiraiya and Tsunade both look like mummies, Tsunade to a lesser extent as she actually has to work. But Jiraiya's entire arms, legs, torso, crotch, and most of his face are wrapped up and gauze with splints under those.

Tsunade is less injured but no less in pain. Her legs, torso, and most of her head are wrapped up. Only her arms weren't injured because she has to sign things. While it will hurt like a bitch to do so, she can still pick up a pen, hold it, and sign her name after reading it. Unlike if she had splints or casts on her arms.

"I had a lot of making up to do," is all the explanation that she offers. "Now, time to get to business. I am here from Kami as one of her Valkyrie to train Naruto in the use of Holy jutsu. During that time, I will also be training him in the Uzumaki arts as well. To do this, we must travel to Uzushio."

Tsunade uses a hand to unwrap her ear, then used the same hand to clean it out.

"Did I hear you right? I thought you said you're going to Uzushio."

Kushina holds up a hand. "Yes, I know it was destroyed but that is only the top. Underneath is where we kept all our records and sealing arts. That fact stays in this room by the way." She lets her threat be felt through her KI.

"We will be there for as long as we need to be."

"And tell us how you are going to keep him safe from not only Akatsuki but the demons as well?"

Kushina's KI spikes slightly.

"You forget that I am no longer of this world and you assume that my methods are as well. I'm a member of the God's court and as such I have knowledge well beyond your comprehension. Did you forget that in order to teach someone something, the teacher must be well versed in what is being taught?"

Tsunade slouches in her chair. "There's nothing I can say that will deter you is there?"

Kushina shakes her hair. "No. Nothing will keep me from my responsibility to teach my son, my right." She turns around and faces a stunned Naruto. "I assume you have no objections.

"…yes, Hiromi and Kyūbi can come, the trip will last a few years at most a few months a best, we will leave in a week at the latest, and I can't talk about that here. Family secrets and all," she finishes for him each time he opened his mouth to ask a question.

"That's good. I want to relax a little before I leave the village for a long time again."

Kushina smiles and nods at him. "I think I'll go back to the compound and dip into the bath. It has been over sixteen years since I have taken a bath."

She moves to leave but then suddenly stops. "Oh and Tsunade, remember my promise if you use medical jutsu or have someone to heal you or Jiraiya before I said you could..."

Tsunade pales at the threat.

Satisfied, Kushina turns to Naruto.

"We need to have a talk. Are you free later?"

Naruto shrugs. "Yeah, we just came to ask what Ba-chan wanted to do now but I guess that is answered. We have no plans for right now"

"Good. I'll see you later at home."

"Wait. Since you're going back there, we should too. There is someone we need to talk to and it won't be pleasant. Better to get it over with now before it becomes an issue."

"Right. I don't mind. Gather 'round."

The four of them disappear into a flash of white, leaving the two Sannin to their injuries.

**Namikaze Compound**

They appear at the gates to the compound, just inside. The next second, Naruto finds himself engulfed by a emotional Kushina. Naruto is a little stunned but accepts the hug all the same. It feels different than when his girls give him hugs. It feels more…more…wholesome. Something about it just makes him feel more complete than before.

"I'm sorry you had such a hard time before. I would watch you from Valhalla and wish I could be with you so many times. Every time you got beaten, when your stomach growled in hunger, when you needed a bath, every time you needed help with a jutsu or training. I'm so sorry."

Naruto just hugs her back and figures it out. He was never hugged like a mother hugs. Oh how he enjoys this feeling of acceptance, of love. It is different than his wives but no less enjoyable. Just different.

Naruto's eyes water as he hugs his mother as she does something that only a mother can do. There is something that only the love of a mother can do. Before he knows what's going on, both are crying on each other, lost in the emotions of the moment.

Kyūbi and Hiromi just stand to the side, happily watching Naruto embrace more of his emotions. His heart is mending. He is becoming more and more human and less of a machine. They wait until the two break apart to join in.

Kushina tried to get away but the two other women wouldn't have it. They all hug each other in the first ever family moment for Naruto and they want Kushina to be a part of it. Naruto momentarily takes off his sunglasses to wipe his eyes with a very large smile on his face.

Then his eyes fall on Fū coming out of one of the clan houses. She sees him and does a one-eighty degree turn and walks back inside. His smile falters a little at seeing her reaction to him.

"Ka-chan, we'll talk later. Right now, I've got some explaining to do."

Kushina nods and walks on into the compound to do…whatever she is going to do.

**"Go on without me Naru-kun. I've got something to do as well."**

Inside Naruto, he is conflicted. He never really has gone anywhere or done anything without Kyūbi here and to tell the truth, he doesn't like the idea of her leaving without him. Some small part of him whispers that she won't be coming back. However, he doesn't want his insecurities to make her feel trapped or restrict what she does. So he smiles and kisses her briefly before she disappears in her unique Shunshin.

Now that she is gone, Naruto fells a kind of empty space that Kyūbi's presence seems to have filled. Apparently, it is transparent as Hiromi snuggles up next to him and tries to meld herself into him. He hugs her back and they stand there for a few minutes. Naruto kisses her in thanks of her support to which she has no problems returning. In fact she is elated to finally be the one to give him support and comfort and not Kyūbi or sharing with her.

Naruto schools his features and walks down to the house Fū is using hand in hand with Hiromi. They walk up to the door and he knocks twice.

When she doesn't answer or make any indication that she is there, Naruto knocks again. When she still doesn't make a sound, Naruto tries to open the door but finds it locked.

Apparently, she doesn't want to talk.

"Fū, I'm coming in."

He opens the door and gets blasted in the face with a high pressured water jutsu. Only by using gravity and water manipulation did he slow the water down enough to not get thrown off his feet.

"I guess I deserve that," he says more to himself as he wipes the water out of his face. Using his wind and fire manipulation, he dries himself and Hiromi as she had been standing next to him, before they step over the threshold.

Inside, it is small but quaint. Each house is modeled after a theme and this one is water. Everything is a shade of blue. And sitting on a couch is a steaming Fū.

"Go away."

Naruto sighs.

"Look, I only came to say that I'm sorry for deceiving you. I am Naruto Uzumaki and I was the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yoko. A few years ago, my sensei and I released her from. You saw her before and probably recognized the yoki her body uses.

"I don't want you to hate me for not telling you and even misleading you a bit but if you do, then I wish you the best of luck."

Having said his part, Naruto turns around and starts to walk away. Fū watches him go with mixed feelings.

'He knows my pain and what I've been through. He still talks to me and wants me to be his friend…and he is rather handsome. But he lied to me and he could lie again. But then I'll be alone again…'

However, she decides right then and there that keeping a grudge isn't worth losing her only friend.

"Wait…tell me about her."

Naruto stops and looks to Fū with a smile on his face.

"Sure."

**Time Skip – Four Hours**

Naruto groans as he falls back against the side of the onsen. It is the first time since the invasion that he has relaxed like this.

He had spent several hours with Fū, just talking with her about Kyūbi, whom she was referring to. Hiromi had cuddled into Naruto's side like always and after an introduction she offered bits and pieces where appropriate.

After comparing notes between Bijū, they talked about other things like how it feels to be married. She had shared with him her deepest wish: to find someone who will love her enough to marry her. Naruto wished her the very best in finding her soul mate.

Naruto looks up as he hears someone climb into the pool and is gifted to see his naked wife moving across the open water towards him. His mouth waters slightly at the sight of Hiromi's sexy body moving towards his. So much so that his penis is instantly hard at the very sight.

**"Is someone happy to see me?"** she teases as she poses for him.

Naruto smirks back at her coy grin. "Always"

Hiromi's grin turns into a smirk and finishes getting to him. However, instead of sitting next to him or even on his lap, she slips his cock into her pussy while facing away from him. Naruto groans as she does so but she makes no effort to move after that. She is perfectly content to sit there with his arms around her with his man meat inside of her.

They sit there for a while, just enjoying the hot water and the bonding time. But Naruto can't resist. He moves his hands to her breasts and plays with her. Before he was intent on moving on, but now he can play with her tits for as long as he wishes. She moans lightly as he does things that he didn't think he would enjoy doing as much as he is.

Eventually, she can't stop herself. She start to bounce up and down on his pole, Naruto all the while never stops playing with her Tsunade sized bust.

Both are lost in each other, they don't even notice someone else until they hear a splash. Both instantly stop and look to see the last person they were expecting.

"Ka-chan, what are you doing?" Naruto asks even while his hands are still on his wife's chest.

Kushina shrugs, making her naked chest bounce slightly. "Don't mind me."

She is unfazed when their staring doesn't stop making her sigh. "Look, this is a mixed onsen isn't it? I have no reason to be ashamed of my nakedness and neither do you. The fact that I gave birth to you doesn't mean that I'm not a female, you aren't a male, and that you weren't just having sex with your wife in a public bath.

"Plus, we need to chat and I would rather do it in a comfortable place like this. Wouldn't you?"

Naruto and Hiromi share a look.

"She does have a point."

They both agree to quit having sex for now in lieu of certain company…any company besides Kyūbi. So they did what they were doing before and just enjoy the hot water with each other.

"Naruto…" Kushina grabs their attention again. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"A lot of things. First and foremost, it is about Madara. When I died, I learned a great many things and made the choice to join Kami' court instead of just existing. On that day, I got an unabridged history of the world as well as the future plans for you.

"Madara isn't what he used to be. He is a weak and tired old man. While the E.M.S. grants his body immortality, his brain wasn't designed for it and therefore is losing his sanity. The reason behind his weakness isn't due to his mind going but because if an event that occurred a few years before his fight with Hashirama.

"When Madara concocted this insane plan, he summoned the demons for their help, thinking they would help him. He was wrong. They don't want to return to the Jūbi. They wish to retain their independence, their own lives. Should Madara succeed, the Jūbi would pull them back into itself before returning to Kratos and sending the universe back into war.

"The demons that Madara summoned were some of Lucifer's lieutenants: Diablos, Pandemona, and Leviathan. The second they heard what his plans were, they attacked him. They say he fought like the devil and somehow managed to escape but not before several grievous injuries were inflicted on him. Though he survived, his power was severely limited and while is still quite strong, he is only a shadow of his former self.

"When the demons returned to Lucifer, he gave a kill on site command for Madara. That is likely why he didn't attack during the invasion. He and Akatsuki would have been targeted by the demons as well."

Naruto takes this information in stride.

"Ok, that was informative but not earth shattering," Naruto says while trying not to look at his mother's mid C range bust that is just floating above the water. So far he has been successful by distracting himself with his wife's bust instead much to her approval.

"While not all that shocking, they will take any opportunity to take you both out if possible even if that means attack Konoha when they know Kami's court is watching this place and ready to act. This means that if Madara is ever in the same place as you, run. Don't trust Madara to fight the demons with you. He will stab you in the back just as he did his brother."

Naruto nods his understanding.

"Good. Now as for your training, once we get to Uzushio, we will be working on your control of your elements that you do have and creating holy jutsu. I can teach you the basics and a few jutsu but that is it. You have to do the rest. Kami didn't want it to be too easy for you but that doesn't mean you can't come to me to bounce ideas off of or to help with a particular aspect of the technique.

"Depending on how fast you pick up the training, which probably isn't going to be very quickly, we should be there for over a year. And it has nothing to do with you just how difficult the training will be for you."

"But I learned the others easy enough."

Kushina shakes her head. "That is because the Sage was smart enough to include some of his memories for the techniques and how to perform them. Using Holy jutsu is completely new for you. You don't have a firm understanding of how it works or how it feels."

Now Naruto is confused. "But I was using Holy jutsu before."

"That was the sword doing most of the work. Being sentient, the sword can do what the armor does and offer advice to taking control of your body for short periods of time. It was calling on the holy element and then molding it. You were just the channel it drew it from and you directed the attack. It did all the hard work."

Naruto hangs his head. That was not what he wanted to hear but then things don't always go your way.

Suddenly the doors to the onsen burst open, revealing Kyūbi. Her eyes lock onto Naruto and Hiromi and she is next to them but not in the water. Her eyes burn with restrained desire.

**"You…me…her…bedroom…now!"**

Before Naruto can even say goodbye to Kushina, Kyūbi has them in their bedroom and is attacking her husband. However Naruto pulls away from her and holds her arms.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you doing this? I was having a conversation with Ka-chan when you came bursting in."

Kyūbi doesn't answer him and tries to push forward again but is stopped but Naruto and this time Hiromi helps restrain her.

**"What is going on here?"**

Kyūbi sighs and stops trying to rape Naruto.

**"Look, I don't want to talk about it right now. All I want is to be fucked into unconsciousness right now. I can't explain it right now but please just go along with it."**

Naruto gives her a harsh eye. He has never seen her in such a state.

"You promise to tell us later?"

Kyūbi nods very enthusiastically. Once more Naruto and Hiromi exchange glances and Naruto gives him. With a loud squeal of joy, Kyūbi nearly tackles Naruto and strips out of her clothing in record time. Her ferocity pushes Naruto back onto the bed with her on top of him with a grunt. She wastes no time in sticking his penis in her and starts riding him at a hard pace.

Hiromi just stands off to the side in shock at Kyūbi's frenzied state and just how fast she went from pleading to now impaling herself over and over again. It had to be less than ten seconds! However a sudden chill makes her realize that she is naked as much as the others and her need is increasing at watching the two fuck.

Yes, this is carnal sex, fucking in other words. Not the slow loving pace their first night. No, this is purely for making each other pass out with sheer pleasure for those gifted with enough stamina to do so. Though you won't catch Naruto complaining.

Right now, he is holding Kyūbi to him as he lays with his back on the bed and working the established, if frenzied, pace. Kyūbi's beautiful face is set almost in a permanent 'O' as she is being cut in half.

'God this woman will be the death of me.'

Suddenly Kyūbi sits up, gracing him with her sweaty front and bouncing breasts. However he sight is suddenly obstructed by Hiromi kneeling over his face. He gets the hint and starts to eat her out with gusto. He is sloppy as he is inexperienced in such things but he makes up for in sheer tenacity.

Soon both woman release, as does Naruto. Kyūbi slumps to the side and his cock is quickly claimed by Hiromi. She picks up where they left off by sitting with her rear to him and immediately starts moving. It isn't the fast paced moving from before but it is still a good pace.

She bounces on it like it is a pogo stick while Kyūbi recovers. But too soon for her, she is quaking as she climaxes herself. She falls to the side opposite of Kyūbi as she and Naruto regain their breathes. However, Kyūbi is back and rearing to go again. She climbs atop of Hiromi's sweaty form in the 69 position and wags her ass at him, enticing him into action.

He plunges himself into Kyūbi once more, earning a moan from the redhead. As he saws in and out of his wife, the red head eats out the blond under her. When Hiromi comes to, she finds Naruto's dick moving in and out of Kyūbi's pussy right above her and her own pussy getting pleasured. She cranes her neck up and uses her tongue to stimulate Kyūbi's clit, making her groan into Hiromi's honey pot.

For Naruto, the sight of his wives pleasuring each other is definitely a turn on and his erection grows even harder. He picks up the pace and drills Kyūbi from behind, making her shout in pleasure. He suddenly gets an evil smirk and without warning, sticks his index finger up to the first knuckle into her ass.

Kyūbi's eyes go wide as the sudden and unexpected penetration of her ass. It becomes too much and cums, making Naruto cum with her.

With Kyūbi indisposed of right now, Hiromi allows Naruto to climb over her and insert his tool into her. He holds her legs over her head as he doesn't waste time in starting slow; her walls more than easily taking the normally brutal speed. As Naruto jack hammers into her, she is moaning and groaning all the way.

But she tires of this position as Naruto is just hammering away but it isn't doing anything for her. She doesn't know if it because she has cum twice already or if her nerves are just numb but she needs a change of position.

So she sits up and is now sitting in his lap as they both bounce. Naruto is at the perfect position to latch onto her breast and he does so. Meanwhile, he hand sneaks around behind her and with the same finger he used for Kyūbi, he puts it in Hiromi's ass to the first knuckle.

She squeals at the new sensation. Her ass is just like her pussy in the fact it is made for penises larger than a human one but it is much more sensitive than the human one. Her eyes go wide as the coil tightens at a much faster rate than before as he uses his finger in her ass to pull her up as she bounces.

Hiromi screams as she releases, the strongest climax of her life rocking her body. She feels full as Naruto pumps more of his seed into her. If it weren't for her arms around his neck, she would have fallen back. This night is easily climbing the charts for one she will always remember.

Naruto lets Hiromi go and they both pant heavily. He finally thinks it is over…until Kyūbi gets back up with the same hungry eyes.

**"We are far from done. Lets test the springs on the bed shall we?"**

There would be nothing but pleasure-filled moans from that room for several more hours before it goes quiet.

**Time Skip – Next Day**

Naruto wakes to him and his wives covered in dried sweat, cum, and blood. Kyūbi had gotten a little too into it and actually bit him on the shoulder and it only increased her libido.

He groans as he tries to sit up but his body is so sore after last night he is sure that his dick would fall off if he has sex one more time. Seriously, a dragon and the queen of demons at the same time. It would be enough to tire anyone out. Fortunate for him, they had both passed out after one last send off of cum and sweat.

But now Kyūbi owes them answers and from the feeling of things, none of them are going to be getting out of bed anytime soon. However, it is still early and he doesn't have anywhere to be, he snuggles up closer to his 'pillows' and goes back asleep.

**Time Skip – Six Hours**

After a much needed shower and soak in the tub for all of them, they are seated at the table where Naruto's clones are making them 'dinch' as in lunch/dinner.

"As much as we enjoyed last night, you promised us."

Kyūbi sets her face. **"I'll start out from the beginning. Yesterday, I went in search of Yugito. I needed to set some things straight with her. But after searching for a half hour, I couldn't find her. So I came here and contacted her through the slave mark. **

**"When I came into her mindscape, I drew her in with me. Naruto, she took advantage of you. I know for a fact that I saw her not two days before she arrived here and gave her the treatment. She took advantage of my husband and her master's kindness and that isn't something I will tolerate. **

**"So I punished her both physically and mentally. I had her Shunshin to this location to where I lashed her with a switch (a thin, highly flexible branch. The smaller the more it hurts) no thicker than a senbon until she bled and welted. After that, I activated the slave seal for a while. When I was done, I took her back to her room and left her there to weep alone. **

**"But…but I was so…so…HORNY! My god, I've never felt the need for sex so much in my life. I don't know what was worse, the craving or the fact that I got horny over the suffering of another sentient being. But I just…needed to have a penis stuffed into me and make me pass out and you are the only choice for that.**

**"But last night…I don't think I've ever had a great a night. I've never passed out from pleasure and it is the greatest thing in the world, sans feeling loved and loved in return."**

They can't argue with that.

Naruto however doesn't know how to respond to Kyūbi's treatment of Yugito. His heart goes out to the girl that is for sure but…

She is still a human being and doesn't deserve that kind of treatment.

"Kyu, I know you have more experience with having slaves than I do but…but I don't like the punishment you gave her. I can't help but feel that it was excessive."

**"I know you do but you have to remember that she is a slave…"**

"And she is also a human being. I agree that some punishment was needed but can you say that you weren't angry when you saw her? You were angry and wanted to hurt her and so you did more than she deserved."

Kyūbi starts to get defensive. **"You are too young to be lecturing me on treatment of slaves! Try again when you…"**

**"Stop it!"**

Both look to Hiromi.

**"Look, you both are right. Kyūbi, you were excessive. It would have been fine if you used either one but not both the switch and slave mark. Naruto, she gave her what she thought was an appropriate punishment. Had Yugito not learned her lesson, she would have done it again and would have grown bolder until she tried something. **

**"Let's just sit and have some lunch ok? There is no need to get hostile and end up saying something you are going to regret later."**

Neither can say anything against that.

"I'm sorry Kyu-chan. I shouldn't have said anything."

**"No…I should be more understanding. I know that you empathize with her for being a Jinchūriki and you see her not as a slave been a human being. And don't stay quiet. I don't want you to resent me which will happen if you don't talk with me about such things."**

**"There. Problem solved. Now let's dig in."**

They eat the moderate meal, all the while Naruto and Hiromi told Kyūbi of what Kushina had talked about. Said woman joined them halfway through and joined them. They share a pleasant conversation and stay indoors the whole day.

Naruto declines having sex when it draws time to go to bed; sighting that his dick needs time to recuperate. Though that got difficult when Kyūbi and Hiromi got into it, pleasuring each other. But Naruto stays strong. He knows that this is a test to see if they can break his willpower. Any other man would have but if nothing else, Naruto is a proud person and will keep his word until his dying breath.

The next morning however, he was unable to resist when he wakes up to both giving him a blowjob. They won that round.

Currently, they are sitting and relaxing with Fū and Mei playing a board game known as Monopoly: Here and Now version.

Hiromi is in the lead, owning the five major villages as well as a number of smaller villages, Naruto has been eliminated, Mei is on her last leg with just Kusagakure (Hidden Grass)and Hoshigakure (Hidden Star), Kushina is in second place with Amegakure (Hidden Rain), Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall), and Yukigakure (Hidden Snow), Fū third with Yugakure (Hidden Hot Water), and Tanigakure (Hidden Valley) while Kyūbi forfeit and started making out with Naruto.

They are having a good time and Naruto is glad to see Fū enjoying herself around others. She needs to learn to socialize with others and get out more.

However, they have run out of sake. So Naruto takes a sake run to Tsunade's 'secret' supplier with Kyūbi as she is already out of the game.

So Naruto is outside the compound with his familiar glasses and a satisfied Kyūbi walking next to him hand in hand. They take their time take the scenic route and just walk around. Once they reach the store, Naruto buys a half dozen bottles of high grade Sake, directly imported from Rice Country.

One their way back, Kyūbi hackles raise. Her sharp eyes catching something…

"Naruto"

Said male turns his head towards the female voice. Standing there is Sakura. Kyūbi moves in front of Naruto and resists the urge to growl.

"What do you want Haruno?"

She flinches at his tone but steels herself.

"I want you to forgive me so I can have my life back!"

Naruto sighs. This again.

"Dream on bitch! Naru-kun isn't the type to…"

"Am I talking to you? No, so step aside whore."

Kyūbi is stunned by Sakura's blatant words. Kyūbi' anger boils but an arm around her mid section calms her.

"Haruno, if you want my forgiveness it is best not to insult my wife."

Sakura's eyes widen. It is almost unheard of for shinobi to get married. Most prefer to just be in a relationship together.

"Yo…your wife?"

"That's right. My wife. I got married a few days ago. Now, about this forgiveness. Give me a reason to."

Sakura fixes him with a look that screams 'is he serious?'

"How about I didn't do anything wrong. How's that for starters?"

Naruto has to hold Kyūbi back from jumping the pinkette.

"Do you seriously believe that you did nothing wrong?"

"Of course! I was only following was Sasuke said to do."

Naruto resists the urge to slap himself.

"And therein lies the problem. You believe, even to this day, that the Uchiha is god enough to dictate what is morally right, what is socially acceptable, and what is the overall direction of the universe. Get a clue. He is a deranged lunatic with a serious superiority complex and homicidal tendencies."

He sees Sakura shake in fury. "Don't you speak about him that way!"

Once again, Naruto has to holdback Kyūbi from just killing this girl.

"Until you figure it out, Haruno, I suggest that you stay away from me and my wives lest something happen because I'm not around to stop them from beating you into the ground."

Naruto pulls Kyūbi away from a still steaming Sakura. He walks her down the road with his arm still around her midsection. Though she breaks out of that quick enough.

"Come on, just let me end her. It will be a relief for all of us," Kyūbi pleads.

"No. Don't touch her. I'm going to tell the same to the others but she is off limits. I don't want you going intentionally near her."

Kyūbi's face shows pure shock.

"Look, she needs to figure this out on her own. You say you want to punish her, well she is receiving punishment right now and she doesn't need any help from you or anyone else. Though I feel that she will fall even further before eventually figuring it out.

"I want your word that you won't harm her intentionally or have someone else do it for you. Promise me."

Kyūbi isn't happy about his words. She wants to just storm up to the bitch and show her exactly what she thinks of her. But her husband isn't moving on and is waiting for her word.

She sighs as he isn't going to let it go and she isn't one to disappoint him. "Fine"

Naruto smiles at her and hugs her to him.

"Thank you. I want her to figure it out and she won't do that if she has constant interference. I know it isn't easy for you but I believe it is the best way to go."

"I'm not happy. And you will receive your punishment tonight. Now sex for a day and you have to watch Ryū-chan and I help each other."

**Time Skip – 3 days**

A large crowd gathers to see off Naruto and his family. The older Shinobi recognize Kushina but know better than to ask questions. Tsunade and Jiraiya are now healed, having served their 'sentience'. Both Sannin hug Naruto and shake hands with the women leaving with him. Also there are the Rookie Six and Team Ten.

Then they are gone, having re-summoned Hiromi in her dragon form. It doesn't take long for the four of them to reach their destination. The moment they touch down, Kushina turns to Naruto.

"Your training begins now!"

* * *

End Chapter 10

AN:

I know some of you are going to be starking angry about Naruto's words about and to Sakura. I have plans for her later on so don't flame me too much.

This was also a sort of filler chapter. Nothing really happens. Next chapter will be better in terms of plot.

XX

Sorry for all the unexpected lemons in. Hope you don't mind. I felt they should be put in somewhere as there won't be much in terms of those for a while.

I know the last one was sloppy and not very descriptive and possibly too 'porn' like but whatever. He is a half demon and can use the yoki to his and wives' benefit.

XX

I am putting myself on a schedule for producing new content. It will be either the 1st or the 15th of each month. Not before or after.

Also, look to February 1st for the next chapter of Turbulent Tides. That is my goal. I'm currently halfway done and after a slump for a while, I'm back to writing it as a decent pace. That said, it is my most difficult story as it is purely original.

XX

Have a great and _**SAFE** _New Years.  
tomhunt98


	11. Chapter 11: The Price of Power

Hey readers. I'm back from my hiatus. As a reward for your patient waiting, I'm releasing two other chapters, one for Throne of Power and Turbulent Tides. This chapter doesn't focus on Naruto. In fact he isn't even in it. This catches you up on what is happening in Konoha which sets up next chapter though it is a little short in length.

Author Responses:**  
**

to linnangel: You are going to have to see...

to...wait, that is all the questions I have for reviews :( I need more questions, more reviews. Anyways, thanks to those who did review. Please keep it up. And without further ado...the next chapter.

**Chapter 11: The Price of Power**

In the deep of Oto, Sasuke Uchiha is sweaty. His body in constant movement. His thoughts are focused and his breathing is shallow. His mouth is pursed in determination.

Underneath him, the redhead is very loud, much to his annoyance, which is why she is on her stomach while he is plowing her from behind.

"More Sasuke! Faster!"

Sasuke's only response is to grab her hair and haul her up to his face.

"Shut up," he snarls at her.

He then slams her face back into the bed and puts his entire weight on her head while he focuses on his own needs. Karin whimpers from his harshness but stays quiet.

All too soon, Sasuke feels the familiar contracting in his balls. Underneath him, Karin shudders in an orgasm of her own, forcing his all the quicker. He pushes faster and harder, completely ignoring the fact that Karin is now wincing from the force.

At the last second, he pulls out and sprays his seed all over the red head's back. He restrains himself from hitting her as she groans from the emptiness.

"Why didn't you cum in me? I told you it was fine…" she asks in a small voice as she turns to face him.

In a flash, Sasuke has her pinned to the bed with her arm twisted behind her painfully.

"Because I already told you why. You are unworthy to bear my children. You are a whore and a tool, nothing more. Better get used to it. Now get dressed and remove yourself from my sight."

Sasuke climbs off the bed and gathers his robe, allowing the naked Karin to leave the room. It is at times like these that she wonders why she likes him or even has sex with hi…oh yeah, because he would just take her body without her permission. This way, it is just less painful and less traumatizing.

With his robe tied, Sasuke exits his room for the showers. Having sex with Karin always makes him feel dirty and disgusting. However, every man has his urges and she is just an end to that satisfaction.

After exiting the shower and dressing for training, he enters the training area. Inside, he finds Orochimaru practicing with Kusanagi.

'I won't lose to that Jinchūriki again. I will not be humiliated in my own chosen art ever again!'

He senses Sasuke enter and stops his own training to turn to him.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun. Have you recovered from your injuries?"

Sasuke scoffs. "What injuries? That hag with the oversized melons can't hurt me seriously."

The Uchiha is surprised when Orochimaru gives him a serious look.

"From now on, I will no longer coddle you. If it weren't for me, you would be dead right now." The snake master tosses Sasuke a sword. He catches it but immediately has to block a strike from Orochimaru as he attacks with the flat side of Kusanagi. "Your training intensifies now. I won't pull punches and I won't stop until you fall unconscious. Now fight!"

Sasuke rolls away, activating his Sharingan as he does so. He blocks an overhead strike from Orochimaru only for Kusanagi to go right through his sword. He curses and back peddles but Orochimaru doesn't let up. He avoids many strikes that would normally cost him due to his Sharingan but his options are limited. He doesn't want to use his chakra sword as Kusanagi would chop it to pieces and chakra conducting swords are very expensive.

Sasuke makes several hand seals but finds his hands bound but a snake from Orochimaru's sleeve. Sasuke sees the large foot of his sensei approaching him but with his hands bound, there is nothing he can do but make it hurt less.

When the foot makes contact, Sasuke goes with it instead of fighting it. He does this by jumping just as the foot arrives, allowing his body to not resist as much. In turn it won't do as much damage.

But even with his 'plan', Sasuke flies through the air and hits the training wall and nearly cracks his skull. He slides down the wall only to see Orochimaru in front of him, sword poised to strike him down. The snake-like face glares down at his apprentice with something that lights a fire in Sasuke: pity.

"Pitiful, truly shameful. You are a disgrace to your linage and I am embarrassed to call you my apprentice right now. Get up or I will kill you where you stand."

**Time Skip – 1 Week**

It took a full ten minutes for Orochimaru to knock Sasuke out. He called for Kabuto and had him heal the life threatening and grave injuries but to leave the little things. Perhaps this will be a wake-up call that he isn't invincible.

It is like that every day. Sasuke would incur more injures only for Kabuto to heal the major ones, leaving him in constant pain. And Sasuke grows bitter. He dreams of ripping his teacher a new asshole turns out to be only that: a dream. For all his boasting, Sasuke was nowhere near Orochimaru's level of skill and experience.

Over the next week, Sasuke grows more and more bitter. He is now to the point where he doesn't even consider Orochimaru his sensei. Sasuke doesn't see the long term benefits of this kind of training and finds it barbaric if it can even be called training.

But there is one who loathes Sasuke's new training more than him. Karin, once again, finds herself presently unwillingly being pounded into by an aggravated Sasuke. She holds in the whimpers as he smacks her around and doesn't bother being gentle. He takes out his rage and frustration on her and even though he just started, she sports a dozen new bruises already with more accumulating by the minute.

She can't raise a hand or voice to him, lest he get more violent. He does this every day instead of once a week like before. Her scars and bruises don't even get a chance to heal before more are inflicted.

Add to that, Sasuke has taken to biting her to heal his own injuries, making her lose chakra constantly and sport even more scars than before. To say the least, the mystic that Sasuke is the one biting her has been lost.

As Sasuke finishes, once again spraying himself on her back and uncaring that she didn't even climax once, he slings her across the room where she impacts the wall with a dull _*thud*_. He walks past her prone figure on his way to the showers, leaving her with the unsaid threat that she had better be gone by the time he got back.

Karin grits her teeth. She _will_ have her revenge one day but that isn't anytime soon. She must tread carefully for Sasuke is Orochimaru's next host and therefore he will protect Sasuke from permanent disfiguration or disability.

She drags herself from the room and down the hall, not even bothering covering herself up. Her naked form crawls along the floor the few hundred feet to her own room, scraping her already bruised and broken skin, where she can tend her herself. And she does just that. She climbs to her bed and applies a balm to her bruises and scars. While they won't go away, the balm will help make it fade faster.

It takes her an hour to fully apply the balm. It is at times like this where she wished she has a clone technique. Some spots are just awkward or difficult to get to without help.

She then goes and takes her own shower, riding herself of Sasuke's dried seed on her back and his stench. She then goes back to her room and applies a second coating of balm, the first one having been washed and scrubbed off.

It is during this coating that she feels it. Even when not concentrating, her sensor skills are second to none.

She feels…something like nothing she has ever felt before. Something so vile it makes her want to puke. It is dark and terrifying from just the aura. What's more surprising is that it is emanating from Sasuke's room. She focuses on the source of the disturbance.

Now that she is concentrating, she feels two distinct patterns. One is Sasuke's and the other is the petrifying and sickening aura. Sasuke's chakra is swirling like he is upset or angry, which is most of the time.

'God his chakra feels so…so…'

It wasn't Sasuke's good looks, or his status as an Uchiha, or his desire for power that initially drew her to him and still is. It is his chakra. She is so skilled in sensing chakra that she can distinguish emotions, even tell if someone is lying. His chakra is strong and powerful, more so than even Orochimaru's. Never before has she felt such a strong chakra flow. It draws her to him, demands that she know this chakra, demands that she feel this chakra all the time, demands that she love this chakra, demands that she be intimately connected with it.

Just like now, his chakra was mostly turbulent, unsteady like when he first came. His raging emotions guide him despite his calm and emotionless demeanor. But when his chakra settles when asleep and _that_ is when she first felt just how…how euphoric his chakra feels to her. Even when chaotic, his chakra draws her in and makes her legs go wobbly but when calm, she nearly faints. The closer she is, the stronger the effect.

For a while now, she has been trying to cut herself off from his chakra, trying to distance herself from him. It has been hell to do. She has been going through withdrawal-like symptoms every time she tries. She can't sleep, can't concentrate, can't get her mind off of his chakra, can't function effectively without it. Sometimes, she gives in, just to let herself get to sleep or when she really needs that fix. But she always regrets it as she is pulled back in, same as before.

Her mind doesn't want to be around him anymore, but her body requires it. With him raping her, all dreams of a romantic relationship with him went out the window and was blown up with a fire dragon bullet. But some part of her body always shivers in anticipation of getting that close to _his_ chakra again, to feel it so close she can feel everything about it.

Suddenly the chakra only she intimately knows changes. It takes on a much darker tone and quickly becomes thicker and even more powerful than before. But instead of feeling euphoria like before, she feels sick. It becomes closer to the other signature, close but not completely. The feeling grows and grows until she actually pukes from the feeling of his chakra alone.

Suddenly there is a large explosion that rocks the base to its foundation. Her wall that faces in the direction of Sasuke's room is blown inward, showing her room with deadly projectiles of rock and whatever else came with the explosion. Her bare skin is cut by several jagged pieces as she covers her head from the shrapnel.

When Karin looks back up through the smoke and dust, she can't believe her eyes. Sasuke, if he is Sasuke anymore, is standing still, looking up through the hole in the ceiling and out into the moonlight. His skin is much darker than before. In fact he looks just like when he activates his Curse Mark lv. 2. The only real difference is there is no mark on his nose and instead of creepy hand looking wings, these are thin, leathery, boney wings.

With no warning, Sasuke takes off through the hole in the ceiling and flies into the night, intent on getting some payback on his old 'master', leaving a ruined base and a confused Karin behind.

**Scene Shift – Konoha, Hokage's Office**

"How many times do I have to say it? No!"

"But…"

"If you say one more word, I'll tear out your tongue and feed it to the Inuzuka's dogs! I have a village to secure and rebuild. I have _two_ Kage in a holding cell, and seven Jinchūriki in this village, two of which are also in a holding cell. I do not have time to indulge your outrageous requests that we execute the strongest ninja this village has. Now get out of my sight before I decide to have Anko use you for target practice."

The man with no name and face (cause the author is too lazy) quickly scampers out of the room.

"Anbu, follow that man. Find his supporters and arrest them all for treason and plotting to harm a ninja of Konoha."

There is no indication that her orders are being followed but Tsunade knows they are. Electronic communication devices are so handy.

Tsunade sits back in her chair with a sigh. That was the tenth request to kill Naruto. She has lost count of the number of requests to have him exiled. Honestly, can't they just leave her to her job which in of itself is a horrid thing. She shudders at the thought of preferring the mounds of paperwork over petitions to kill the reason she came back. If Naruto was killed or kicked out, she would be the first out of the gates, never to return.

"Don't let it get to you Hime. They are all just ignorant and stupid."

"Can't you use the door for once Jiraiya?" Tsunade asks without opening her eyes or sitting up.

"I guess I have the ability to."

The Hokage suppresses the urge to throw something at him.

"What are we going to do?"

It is one of the few times that Tsunade is showing her true age. This job is taking a toll on her both physically and mentally and now she sounds and feels as old as she really is.

"I don't know. I for one would love to see justice done but I know it won't happen. We are attacked by not only several nations but by demons and the only reason we are standing here right now is because of Naruto and Kyūbi, not to mention his summons."

"I know but the populace doesn't see it that way. I have the Elders on my ass as well, claiming that Naruto was the reason we got invaded in the first place."

Tsunade rubs her eyes, trying to relieve some stress.

"And then Kushina shows up and now we have to deal with angles, demons, enemy countries, Akatsuki. Could this situation get any worse?"

"Actually Hime…Orochimaru is dead."

Tsunade's eyes snap to him.

"What?"

Jiraiya avoids her glare.

"Rumor has it that Sasuke killed him with some new ability and totaled the base they were staying at. Among the dead were Kabuto and a few other notable experiments."

"Could he have switched bodies into Sasuke?"

Jiraiya thinks on it for a moment. It isn't the answer of the question he is thinking about but how to tell her the answer.

"No, if he merely switched bodies, then why destroy the base and his loyal subjects? No, this is Sasuke's doing. I have a girl in custody and am having her transported here who was at the base when Sasuke went berserk. From what I can tell, this girl is an Uzumaki and the most gifted sensor I've ever come across. She almost got away with her near precognitive abilities. It took Sage Mode to find her and then track her down. It is astounding the amount of control over her chakra she has."

Tsunade is silent for a moment as she digests the information.

"So do you have any idea where Sasuke is headed?"

Jiraiya shrugs. "Beats me. I can only guess at possible places he could show up at, here being one of them. But it wouldn't be prudent to rely on them."

"But why here?"

"Because this is Naruto's home and by destroying it, he believes that he will finally best Naruto once and for all. Plus you beat his ass badly and he would want revenge. That and he is arrogant enough to think that he can take on all of us and since only we know where Naruto went. He still thinks that Naruto is here."

A silence falls between the two teammates before a grin breaks out on Jiraiya's face.

"On a different note, I hear that a certain Jinchūriki made you blush like a school girl."

Tsunade throws up her hands. "Dear Kami, where did you hear that? It was a moment of weakness and he was looking very dashing when I first saw him."

'Plus he didn't rap like his profile said he does. That would have been the most annoying thing ever. But I did promise him not to tell anyone.'

Yes, Bee begged her on his hands and knees not to tell of his non-rappage (because the author was too tired to write in bad raps at the time). It would totally ruin his image as an idiot and amateur rap artist.

"Anyways Jiraiya, how is the girl going to get here? I thought you only had a group of spies among the…darker side of the entertainment industry."

Jiraiya gives her an annoyed look. "Look, you can call me a pervert, preferably a super pervert. You can call me lazy. But don't question my abilities or dedication. I know better than anyone how to run an operation and what characters are needed.

"As it happens, she is staying with an old associate of mine and he will get her to another contact of mine who happens to be a traveling merchant. He will get her here and has in fact already on his way."

"What about bandits, raiders, enemy shinobi? What happens if the merchant is ambushed?"

Jiraiya sighs. "Look, I know what to do and have done this before. The only reason I'm not taking her back here myself is I would have been missed. It was a clone that found her and even then it was pure luck that I picked up her trail."

Tsunade is silent and leaves it be. Jiraiya may fool around but he does know his stuff even if he doesn't look like he does.

"Alright, alright. We'll deal with her when she gets here. Until then, we have to figure out what to do with Iwa and Kusa not to mention the Jinchūriki. I would love to get and have all seven here but I don't think that would be possible. The population has issue with one, imagine their response to all seven here permanently."

*AN: they don't count Naruto as one because Kyūbi can come and go as she pleases. Plus the Sanbi is sealed in a kunai at this time*

Jiraiya scoffs in agreement. "They are having enough trouble with the four that are wandering around now. Though the Elemental Nations won't allow all nine Bijū to be held by us for any length of time, even if it is just temporary. Not even Suna will allow that since their Jinchūriki is their Kage. The Raikage, while supportive of us is not going to allow both of his Jinchūriki to remain here."

"We will also have to think of a punishment that will be harsh enough but not lead to war. The Daimyo was very insistent that we not go to war. I have a feeling that the Tsuchi Daimyo has been in contact with ours and they have reached an agreement to reign in Iwa should the punishment not lead to war."

Jiraiya and Tsunade sit on that for a moment.

"We could always remove Ōnoki from his seat and give it to someone more agreeable."

Tsunade shakes her head. "No, that would lead to war since most of Iwa already resent the Leaf and that would only increase their hatred of us. The decision makers of Iwa are out of reach. Any disciplinary action must come from their Daimyo, which I think is what Shijimi was hinting at," she finishes tiredly.

Tsunade rubs her temples with her fingers in frustration,

"But what to do with Kusa?" Jiraiya carries on, not really looking at Tsunade but out the window. "We could get missions from them but what else? We can't touch Shin either. We could force…"

"Jiraiya please stop."

"We could make them have a yearly stipend, put a limit on the number of shinobi, make them unable to…"

"Jiraiya…"

"…participate in future Chūnin exams for three or four years, or force them to raise the price on all of their exported and imported produc…"

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade yells, finally getting his attention. "Just stop Jiraiya," she finishes softly.

The white haired Sannin is shocked Tsunade would interrupt him. He can't but think her henge is slipping with just how tired, wrinkled, and pale her skin is looking at this moment, her voice matching how she looks.

"I'm getting too old for this. I'm tired of constantly fighting, I'm tired of having to listen to bullshit day in and day out, and most of all, I'm tired of requests to kill or banish Naruto. He is the reason I'm here and from my understanding, this was position was supposed to be temporary while you and the council look for a more permanent replacement.

"I don't enjoy this position, never have. I hate sending people to their deaths; it goes against my entire philosophy of saving people. I just want to be a medic again and not have to worry about such things…

"I think it's time to start training Naruto to be my replacement."

Jiraiya crosses the room and in a rare show of maturity, he takes her hand gently in his and his eyes don't even try to leave her face.

"Maybe it is but you're exhausted. Go home and get some sleep. It isn't good for our Hokage to be so tired and making such important decisions."

Tsunade looks at him sharply. "Who are you and what have you done with Jiraiya?"

Said man chuckles at her joke while he absentmindedly rubs the back of her hand with his thumb. "Hey, I can be a proper man when I want to be."

Tsunade smiles despite herself. This is the Jiraiya that she enjoys being around, the serious, charming, kind, dashing, and non-perverted side. She would have married him long ago if he didn't have so many…quirks that makes him unbearable to be around much less live with.

It's ironic to think his obsession with breasts and acting on that obsession kept him from getting a pair of the largest breasts on the planet. If they were married, she would have no qualms about letting him touch and look as much as he wanted to, as long as it was in the confines of their home.

"You're right Jiraiya. We can talk about this later. Wanna go get a drink with me?"

"No, you're going to bed. Don't make me call Shizune."

His answer astounds and boggles her mind. He would always, _always_, jump at a chance to go drinking with her. It means that he gets one more chance to bed her or at least see her naked, not that it ever worked before. It is common knowledge that alcohol decreases the inhibitions of one's mind after all.

'Just what are you up to?' she asks herself.

But whatever his plan is, he is right. She does need sleep and not the alcohol induced kind.

"Fine fine."

Jiraiya smirks with his victory.

"Now if you excuse me, I need to make preparations for the arrival of our guest."

**Time Skip – Ten Days**

The village is buzzing with news. Some red headed chick with glasses is in the village and she is important. While it wasn't announced that this person is important, when you have a visible guard of a dozen Shinobi ranging from Jōnin to Anbu walking you down the street, people tend to assume.

The rumors range from the daughter of the Daimyo to a messenger from Iwa and one even states that she is from a race that lives in the ocean in the water. But to one pink headed girl, there is only one rumor that she is interested in.

That is why Sakura is seeking her out. If the particular rumor she overheard two Anbu at the hospital talking about is true then…

'Focus!' she chides herself.

It was three days ago when Konoha erupted with rumor about this girl. Not soon afterwards, the rumor mill was going full swing and Ino, the ever-loving Queen of Gossip, had a field day trying to discern truth from fiction to outlandish and wild speculation.

But the red head has yet to be seen again by the public, which makes Sakura's task of finding this mystery girl all the more difficult. But she does have a lead. The Anbu weren't specific about the location of the girl but from way they were talking…

Sakura rounds the corner and stops across the street from a non-descript building. The store of general merchandise is a front. For underneath the veil is the Intelligence and Interrogation department, the logistical center for all of Konoha, the beating heart and very center of the village.

She knows this because of two things one: she is a shinobi and while a Chūnin in rank, there is a 'common sense' among the shinobi above Genin. They all know where the Anbu Headquarters is, the fact there are tunnels connecting the vital parts of the village and some even that leave the village, and the location of the I.A.I.C. (Intelligence and Interrogation Center).

And two: her 'teacher' in medicine rubbed off on her that it was ok to eavesdrop on conversations where she isn't entitled and even gave her a technique to make it easier to hear what is being said.

Knowing her goal, Sakura walks into the store. It doesn't sell anything that isn't new and exciting or anything that is out of date. Even the building itself seems to just fade into the background. Everything about the building has been meticulously crafted to be overlooked. And they did a masterful job.

She looks around the store, trying to seem interested in the wears they have. The clothing is all long sleeves in dull colors and pants in the same, boring colors. The food isn't too great and the weapons are not polished nor sharpened past the manufacturing process.

However, her eyes are scanning the building, looking for secret compartments, false walls or floors. She even went into the changing room to 'try on' a pair of decent pants. She checked everything she can think of.

But after a half hour, she if forced to give up, lest she be suspicious. Hell, she even bought the pants she tried on even though she has no plans on ever wearing them. She walks down the street dejectedly and eyes the pants,vowing to burn them once she is home. She gives an exasperated sigh as a thought crosses her mind.

What did she expect? That place was set up by decades of research by the smartest people Konoha has to offer. It would be either very bad or a trap if a Chūnin level shinobi with no training in such things were to find a way in without being detected.

She begins to feel a little better about herself and strengthens her determination. She will find a way in there and get her answers.

**Time Skip – 1 Week**

The table now has a dent in it. A very large and deep dent.

This dent is from Sakura's repeated bashing of her head as she squeezes out every bit of knowledge from her head, every idea to find a way in.

But after one week, she has found nothing, _nothing_, to give her some idea as to how to get in or even find the way in. She went to the library, talked with Kakashi, tried to find blueprints. But the library is conveniently lacking in such material, Kakashi outright refused to answer espionage related questions, and the blueprint shows nothing out of the ordinary.

Hell, she even tried to find Naruto and ask him since he was trained under Jiraiya and could know them. But she couldn't find him and anyone who might know where he would be isn't talking or giving her hints as to his whereabouts.

She is out of options, out of research, out of ideas. One might also say that she is out of her mind as well.

She sighs in frustration and looks to the clock. She has a shift at the hospital in an hour and needs to get ready. It takes her all of fifteen minutes to prepare and leave.

As she walks down the street, her head is full of questions and thoughts of Sasuke and what to do. She can't just give up nor can she accept what Naruto said.

She grabs her head and nearly screams. She is so confused about everything that she doesn't even know what to do anymore.

That is until a flash of red catches her eye. She looks up and lo and behold, the reason for wanting to break into the most secure place in the village is not thirty feet from her.

Her brain works quickly. What to do now? Should she ask her now? No, that would draw attention to herself. With probable Anbu watching the red head, a kidnapping is out of the question.

So how is she going to get this girl alone where she can question her?

She thinks while following the girl from a far distance. Suddenly she gets an idea but she has to act fast. So she speeds up and within a minute has passed her target. She gets about a hundred feet from her target before dropping into an alleyway.

She casts a Genjutsu over herself, one of the few jutsu she looked up and trained to use, effectively hiding herself and chakra from those around her.

Next she goes through several hand seals but stops short of using the jutsu. She lies in wait and at the right time, presses her hands to the ground.

"**Doton: Chidōkaku,**" she whispers. (Earth Release: Moving Earth Core)

Just before the redhead takes her next step, the ground just in front of her raises just a tiny bit and the lowers where her foot will land.

The result is Karin tripping on the raised ground. As she tries to regain her balance, she puts that same foot forward only to fall because the ground is lower than expected. As she falls, her ankle rolls to the right and she lands right on the twisted ankle in a cry of pain.

From the side, Sakura smirks at her handiwork. Her ankle is definitely sprained and rolled if not broken entirely. And that means she will have to go to the hospital. Sakura makes from the scene as quickly as she can and still remain undetected. As soon as she is clear, she drops the Genjutsu and shunshins to the hospital.

After much begging for forgiveness and promising to get to work right away, her boss (Shizune) allows her to get to work. Sakura practically runs through everything that is given to her. When asked about her drive, she just shrugs and goes back to work.

After three hours of non-stop work, Sakura checks the charts for the fifth time. But this time, she sees what she is looking for.

A broken right ankle on a girl matching the description of her target has been given a cast and pain killers and is currently under observation in a restricted room.

So she goes on break and has the girl's charts in her hand as she walks down the hallway. Her body feels very tingly and hypersensitive. Adrenaline pumps through her veins as she approaches the door. She can already see the Anbu standing outside the door and figures that another two or three are hidden close-by.

Before she knows it, she has reached the door and is stopped by the Anbu.

"This is a restricted room. Please go back the way you came," Bull asks.

Sakura's stomach goes to her shoes but she keeps her cool.

"But I'm here to check on Miss Karin. I need to check on her."

Bull squares his shoulders. "I'm sorry but unless I hear from the Director [i.e. Shizune], you are not permitted."

Sakura scowls on the inside. There is a (short) list of nurses and doctors who are authorized to care for patients requiring a guard for whatever reason and is approved by the Director of the Hospital herself.

So Sakura just lies.

"I'm sorry but Katō-san* is in an emergency surgery right now. She gave me authorization just before starting the procedure since Natsume-san is on break right now and no other authorized nurses are available.

"Though she did make it clear that this is a one-time thing. Your patient isn't dangerous is she?"

Bull eyes her thoroughly, to which she honestly blushes under the scrutiny. But Bull takes it as a sign of sincerity and he sighs.

"I'll have to have a talk with her on procedure later. And no, she isn't dangerous."

Bull steps aside to allow Sakura through. She gives him a smile just before closing the door.

Inside, Sakura gets the first look at her handiwork. Karin's ankle is suspended from a strap with a heavy white cast around it. However, instead of being groggy from the painkillers, the red head is wide awake and staring right at her.

"So you're the one who put me in this condition?"

That rattles Sakura.

"H…how?"

Karin smirks at the pinkette. "Because I am a sensor. Now would you please tell me why you assaulted me before I call in the Anbu from outside?"

Sakura hastily moves to the corner of the bed.

"Are the rumors true?"

Karin rolls her eyes.

"You're going to have to elaborate, pinky. I've been here two weeks and that little outing was my first time outside since I got here. I don't know anything of any rumors or why there would be any to begin with."

Sakura is both embarrassed and annoyed at the red head.

"There's been rumors going around that you're royalty or a spy." Karin gives her a snort. "But the only rumor I'm interested in is you know the whereabouts of Sasuke Uchiha."

Karin's amused mood is gone in an instant, replaced by one of anger and hostility. "And why would you want to know where that rapist is?" she growls out.

Suddenly she finds Sakura in her face, an enraged look on her face.

"Sasuke-kun is _not_ a rapist!"

But Karin isn't intimidated. She glares back with the same intensity. Now she gets why this girl wants to know.

"Let me tell you of your precious _Sasuke-kun_ and how much of a bastard he really is."

Sakura is surprised when Karin begins to undress from the hospital gown. Karin struggles with it until she gives into her frustration and tears the thin covering off. The site makes Sakura's jaw drop.

Karin's pale body is riddled with scars, each circular in shape and an inch or so in diameter. And not just on her arms. Her neck, shoulders, breasts, sides, and even one on her jaw. All in all, there are more than forty of these same exact scars.

"These are proof of his brutality. See, I have a bloodline that allows others to heal from biting me and ingesting my blood. The drawback is it leaves a scar for every bite. That and it is deeply personal for me.

"But Sasuke didn't care. Besides actually raping me weekly, more recently daily, he would take a bite out of me every time he felt like it and he wasn't gentle. I was lucky if he would just leave me to crawl back to my room after he was finished. Sometimes he would throw me against a wall or knock me unconscious and toss me out of his room into the hallway on the way to the showers."

Karin takes a lot of satisfaction in seeing the disturbed look on Sakura's face.

"No…no! Sasuke wouldn't do that!"

But there goes Karin's amusement.

"Wake up you fangirl!" she yells, not caring if the Anbu heard her or not. "The Sasuke you knew is gone and believe me when I say that he isn't coming back. The only thing that brute cares about is getting revenge on those who have slighted him and nothing in between. He will destroy everything in his path to get his revenge."

Sakura now looks like she wants to cry. Karin softens her tone a little.

"I would be lying if I didn't understand where you are coming from though. When I first met him, I fawned over him too. I daydreamed about having a family with him among other things. I was exactly like you for a time, believing that he couldn't do anything wrong.

"But that was thrown out the window. At first, I was elated that he was touching me like he was, that close to his chakra. But he just got rougher and rougher and had no regard to if I was in the mood or not. To him, I was his play thing, his stress reliever, his personal sex slave.

"Any thoughts I had of growing old with him, living a life of love with him was shattered. All I could do was bear through it, think of something else…"

Karin trails off for a moment.

"But now he isn't even human anymore."

That knocks Sakura out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"I don't know what happened but suddenly his chakra changed one night," Karin continues, not hearing Sakura, so wrapped up in her memories she is. "He destroyed the base and ripped through it killing everything in his path. And then…then he killed Orochimaru like it was nothing.

"After that, he took off and was out of my range within a matter of moments."

Sakura sits in silence before speaking. "But isn't that good? Now he has the power to get revenge on Itachi so he can come back here."

Karin turns a sharp eye to Sakura who involuntarily takes a step back from the intensity.

"You don't get it do you? He isn't human anymore, he won't stop killing until there is nothing else left to kill. I don't know what Sasuke had to agree to, but power like that doesn't come cheaply. There is no way that Sasuke will come back here unless it is to destroy it."

Unknown to Sakura, there has been an Anbu inside the room and hidden the entire time, listening and reporting in. And he just got his orders. He phases into view and puts a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"By order of the Hokage, you, Sakura Haruno, are under arrest. You are being charged with conspiracy, assault, and knowingly trespassing in a restricted area."

The voice makes Sakura jump but Karin has a different reaction.

"About damn time. I was wondering if you were going to twiddle your thumbs forever."

The Anbu gives her a blank look, or at least the look he gave her is hidden behind the mask.

"You knew he was here?" Sakura shouts, trying to break out of the grip of the Anbu but to no avail.

"Yeah I knew. I'm the best damn sensor in the world!"

Before Sakura can retort, she is pulled away by the Anbu and taken to be processed.

**Later that Night**

The damp and dark walls surround Sakura but they aren't the reason she can't sleep. Her mind is so wrapped up in what Karin said. Karin being just one in the long line of people who have told her that Sasuke isn't the knight in shining armor that she thinks he is.

'But…but…'

She can't even bring herself to think of a defense for Sasuke or refute Karin's statement and physical marks outright. But to her knowledge she is only one to have actual experience dealing with Sasuke's theoretical ever growing darker side beside's Naruto.

She grips her head in confusion, which seems to grow the longer she thinks about it. She thrashes about for a while, trying to make sense of it all. She tries and tries to think of something but can only settle on one thing.

'I…I have to see him. I have to see if it's true.'

"_Then my dear, I have a proposition for you."_

Sakura wheels around, looking for the source of the voice. But the thick darkness prevents any hint of the person's location.

"Sh…show yourself."

"_Ah, but I am already here. You just cannot see me yet."_

The voice is very soft, like a whisper on the wind. Sakura searches for the source but finds herself totally incapable of even seeing her hand that is just centimeters from her eyes.

"Wh…who are you?"

"_Me? I am no one of consequence. I am but a mere messenger. However, I can…help you."_

"Help me how," she whispers into the darkness.

"_Tell me little girl, what do you desire? What does your heart truly yearn for?"_

A tiny red light goes off in the very depths of Sakura's mind but it is totally ignored for she is completely enraptured by this voice, this chance.

"I…I want Sasuke-kun. I…I have to see him."

In the darkness, the owner of the voice grins.

"_Then all you have to do is take my hand. Take it, and I will give you a power that none have seen before. You can leave without worry and search for your beloved. You can find him and make him yours. All you need to do is reach out and seize it."_

Sakura then sees a sickly hand of the palest white reach out of the nothingness. She hesitates only a second before taking the offered hand and then her world explodes.

**With Karin, A Few Minutes Ago**

The redhead lazes about her hospital room. With nothing to do, the only thing she can do is to use and refine her sensor abilities. So far there have been a total of forty different Anbu to watch her since her arrival at the hospital, ten surgeries in the hospital, and three different _authorized_ nurses to tend to her. The only really interesting thing to happen besides what happened with Sakura is a nurse had multiple rounds of sex with several different patients.

She is just now paying more attention to the immediate area around the hospital when she feels _it_. The same feeling from the hideout just before Sasuke's chakra changed, the same vomit inducing signature. She closes her eyes and concentrates, following the trail to the source all the while staving off the urge to empty her stomach.

Beads of sweat roll down her brow as she is forced to concentrate as hard as she can as the distance between her and wherever _it_ is.

Just before it gets out of range, Karin locates the source. Her eyes fly open.

"Get me to the Hokage, now," she yells at the Anbu in her room. She flips over the covers, not caring that her gown has traveled up with wear, exposing her underwear to the shinobi.

The Anbu shows himself but instead of complying, he tries to push her back down.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you leave. Besides, you need rest."

Karin, however, isn't to be so easily swayed.

"Damn it, I need to see the Hokage _NOW_! Something is going down right now and only I know it," she shouts. "If nothing else go and get her here quickly," she tries when the Anbu doesn't let up.

The Anbu doesn't let her go but turns around and speaks into the communicator. After a short chat with the controller on the other side, the Anbu focuses on the redhead again.

"The commander will try to get her here."

Karin hisses at him. "Damn it, that's not good enough! Tell the bitch on the other side that receiver the same thing that happened to Orochimaru's hideout is about to happen in the middle of Konoha. Get her ass here and get some units over to the prison!"

Now the Anbu would normally take exception to being given orders by a person that is heavily under surveillance but being in Anbu, he has been informed of Orochimaru's current status and the situation around his demise.

So instead of getting riled up like some noob rookie, he immediate goes to his mic and informs dispatch. After he informs dispatch of the situation, Anbu is immediately sent to the prison as well as several Jōnin and the Hokage herself.

Karin relaxes at hearing that. Her part is done and can do nothing else. While new, she can say that this place is a lot better than the cramped, claustrophobia-inducing tunnels of Oto's hideouts. Not to mention that she doesn't have a certain someone raping her all the time. So she will do her part to protect this place and the people inside it.

However, her moment of relaxation is over when the source of the vile feeling erupts like a volcano from the prison.

She shoots up in her bed and gasps at the intense feeling of nausea the feeling brings with it. She wretches and shakes uncontrollably, forcing the Anbu to hold her down and call for assistance from the nurse's station. He grits his teeth as his ear hurts from the sudden explosion of chatter and yelling on the Anbu frequency.

He rips the ear piece out when two nurses enter along with another Anbu. They see her state and help restrain her. When they ask what she was doing just before, the Anbu assigned inside the room tells her he has no idea what caused this reaction.

The nurses are left with no choice but to sedate her as Karin continues to spasm and pitch almost out of the grasp of four people. A nurse runs to a gather the supplies and heads back as fast as she can. She told the nurse manning the nurse's station just down the hall to get Shizune here immediately.

The nurse rushes back into Karin's room and injects the sedative directly into Karin's exposed forearm. The affects are immediate.

Karin slumps on the bed in a heap allowing four tired people to finally let her go. She alive but very much asleep.

**Anbu Cells**

Tsunade lands just short of the no longer hidden Anbu detention center. Dust and smoke obscure the area making it impossible to see the actual walls of the center.

"Anbu, clear out this smoke."

Two Anbu who were already onsite make hand signs. They flash through them and generate a gust wind making the smoke and dust dissipate at a quick rate. The walls come in sight just as another explosion blasts through the wall.

Tsunade and the Anbu tense and ready themselves for a fight. But they weren't prepared for what they see.

A person emerges from the dust, the sight making them back away in fear.

"S…Sakura?" Tsunade stutters out, shocking those around her.

The being turns towards the Sannin, showing recognition of her name.

Sakura's body has changed drastically. Her skin is now much darker and has a slight leathery quality. Her eyes have a pink ring around them that glows slightly, and her hair is choppier and has random clumps of hair that stick up.

But the greatest change is her body. She is much thinner, showing her ribs. Her thighs, arms, stomach, and neck are all noticeably thinner as well.**

"What…what the hell happened to you?"

Instead of answering, Sakura suddenly grips her head in anguish and confusion.

"**S**a_**s**_u_k_**e-**_k_**u**_**n**_…m**u**_s__**t**_…**f**i_**n**__d_…" comes her distorted voice.

Tsunade and the Anbu prepare to apprehend her when she nearly disappears almost instantly. Only a very feint blur can be seen of her. However, her feet leave crater marks for every time she takes a step, showing a newfound speed that none have seen before.

The assembled shinobi can do nothing but gape.

"Squad 8 and 9 follow and capture her!" Eight Anbu take off after the escaped prisoner. "The rest of you secure the village. I don't know what the hell just happened but whatever it was, it can't be good."

The shinobi salute their Kage and move to fulfill their orders. Meanwhile Tsunade shunshins to the hospital to have a chat.

**Scene Shift**

Tsunade arrives on the scene to see Shizune in a robe and her pajamas, pink with teddy bears, scanning over a knocked out Karin. In the room are two visible Anbu, Cheetah and Sparrow, along with a gaggle of nurses.

"Everyone not qualified to have a Class A clearance leave now."

There are several classes of intelligence clearance. The highest being Class S. Only the Kage, Jōnin Commander, Anbu Captain, and former Kage have this classification. This is information that is so sensitive that it could incite wars or civil unrest. Naruto's lack of being a Jinchūriki and the identity of his parents are under this category. Any breach of this class is an automatic death sentence.

The next is Class A. Anbu, Elite Jōnin, and the Heads of Departments have this classification. Information in this classification include village defenses, location of the Anbu Headquarters, location of the I.A.I.C., the Anbu hospital, Anbu detention center, Anbu entrances, and the like. Revealing secrets of this caliber is between a severe jail time and death depending on the extent of the

The only exception to these is the Council or the Advisory Board. As Clan Heads and Jōnin themselves, they advise the Hokage on different matters from domestic to war to promotions. They can hear whatever the Hokage and Jōnin Commander is willing to discuss. Anything that is said in that room is automatically has a Class S restriction, making a leak punishable by death. It is unfortunate that Sarutobi was too old and unwilling to enforce this practice.

Back to the room, Shizune whirls around, having not detected her mentor. She waits for the nurses to clear out of the room before starting to speak.

"Physically there is nothing wrong with her. According to Cheetah here, she suddenly started yelling about needing to go to you or you come to her. When Cheetah didn't allow her up, she shouted how the something that happened to Orochimaru's base is going to happen to in Konoha."

"After that, she just started shaking and having spasms uncontrollably. I called for assistance and we were eventually able to get her under control with a sedative. However, it took four of us to barely hold her down. That girl is amazingly strong for her build," Cheetah finishes up for Shizune.

Tsunade nods and dismisses the two Anbu back to their posts. She walks over and runs a few chakra-based tests on Karin just to be sure. Shizune may be an excellent medic but she doesn't have the sheer vast experience that the Hokage does.

Finding nothing wrong as Shizune said, Tsunade uses a jutsu to instantly 'burn' up most of the sedative in Karin's bloodstream.

Tsunade lightly slaps Karin's cheeks to awaken her. It takes a moment but Karin's eyes slowly open. The jutsu Tsunade used leaves only enough sedative as to wake the patient slowly. It is a lot easier to deal with a patient that way.

Karin's eyes open telling Tsunade that Karin is awake.

"Tell me what you know."

On instinct, like she has every day after she unlocked her chakra after waking up, Karin scans the area for threats. Her eyes are unfocused as she takes in what her senses tell her. Suddenly her senses go haywire. She feels moment towards herself from a very large chakra source not a few feet from her.

Her body reacts on its own and moves to intercept the 'attack' but her brain registers just who the signature belongs to.

Tsunade and the others stare at Karin who looked like she had an electric shock run through her. Tsunade had moved her hand forward to gently tap Karin in the cheek to gain her attention and wake her up when Karin just sort of jumped like a bolt of lightning has hit her.

Now Karin's mind fully awakens. When she sees the shocked faces of those around her, she puts the pieces together.

"Sorry about that. I'm a sensor. My body wakes up differently than others. My chakra and sensing abilities are the first to awaken. I must have sensed your chakra so close to me and reacted on instinct."

Tsunade takes the information in and proceeds with her questions.

"Tell me what happened. I need to know."

Karin takes in a deep breath. "It was just like before. I was laying here with nothing to do besides hone and test my sensor abilities when I felt…_it_. The feeling of whatever _it_ is so vile it makes me want to throw up. But I fought down that feeling and followed it. I tracked it to its origins and detected it in a cell. I felt two signatures in the room but from this distance, I couldn't tell who was in the cell beforehand.

"But then _its_ presence expanded exponentially, almost like it exploded. The person's chakra signature changed just like Sasuke's. The person's chakra became like _it_ and I couldn't stand the feeling anymore. After that, I blacked out."

Tsunade sits in thought.

"Could you identify it again?"

Karin nods immediately. "Definitely. I have never felt anything like it before."

"Last question. Can you tell me the direction that Sakura went?"

"Is that who was in the cell?"

Tsunade nods and Karin closes her eyes and stretches out her senses. As soon as she pushed her senses far enough, she feels _it_. It is an easy trail to pick up. Karin follows it until she gets to the detention center, the origin of the chakra explosion. Karin then follows the malevolent chakra into the heart of the village.

From there, she tracks it as it makes a turn and makes a b-line for the east gate. Karin follows it for a long as she can but looses it after two miles outside the village.

"The signature headed through the middle of the village after escaping. From there, it shot for the Eastern Gate. Once outside, it goes straight east until it is out of my range."

Tsunade nods and turns to the Anbu in the room and Shizune.

"I need a moment alone."

Taking the not-so-hint, the room empties.

"Thank you. Listen, I know you have no real reason to stay but I would like to consider my proposal. If you agree to become my personal sensor you would be in charge of Konoha detection grid and answer only to me. On top of this, you would have free reign to change anything about the entrances and exits as well as the detection grid to Anbu patrol patterns as you see fit.

"Lastly, you would track any of the signatures that you felt tonight whether it be Sasuke, Sakura, or whatever it was that caused their changes. You will be my Second in Command and have an S-Class clearance.

"I'm offering you a home. I'm offering you respect. I'm offering you a chance to restart."

To say that Karin is stunned is like saying that Might Guy likes the color green. Her analytical mind starts working overtime, thinking of the pros and cons of both accepting and rejecting (gracefully and politely) the offer.

She understands that Tsunade is taking a massive risk, that she could be a spy or worse a saboteur. However, Tsunade must believe that the benefits of a new system and abilities outweigh the risks. She understands that if she were to turn on them after accepting the position, then it will likely cost the Hokage her job.

However, this isn't a decision that you can just make a snap judgment on. This requires serious thought as the responsibilities are no joke. People's lives are at risk and people will look to you for orders or advice. One must know how to handle subordinates, manage said subordinates.

As confident as she is on her sensor abilities, this is something that she must give pause and think about.

"Can I think about it?"

Tsunade nods.

"That's only fair."

Tsunade gets up to leave but stops at the door.

"Oh, and just so you know, Konoha can be your home even if you don't accept my offer."

And with that the busty Kage is gone, leaving Karin with a lot of thinking to do.

**Next Day**

Tsunade is in her office very early the next day, shocking those around her. One might assume that she had been drunk or at least heavily buzzed last night with all that happened.

But Tsunade is in there to deal with the situation. She has to cover up and hush the crowd at about what happened and keep the location of the Detection Center a secret. Neither are easy tasks.

In fact, she has called a meeting with the Advisory Board for this very matter. She only has to wait a half hour more so she can conduct this meeting and figure out how to keep it under wraps.

She is pushing though paperwork at a fast pace figuring the sooner she got this done, the sooner her headache can go away. That is until she gets a knock on the door.

After a quick 'Enter', the door opens and reveals the only redhead in the village. Karin walks as swiftly as she can with a boot and crutches to Tsunade's paper covered desk. She plops down in a chair with a huff and a groan.

"You know, you could just heal my ankle and be done with it."

Tsunade sends her a knowing smile.

"But why would I deny you such a great learning experience? Besides, unless you're a ninja, we don't use chakra to heal such inconsequential wounds."

Karin scowls at her words.

"And pray tell what lesson am I learning?"

She doesn't like Tsunade's smirk.

"Empathy. Now I assume you are here because you've made a decision."

It is Karin's turn to smirk.

"I accept."

* * *

End Chapter 11

*Dan's last name is Katō is it isn't a stretch to think that as his niece, Shizune's last name could be same

**Think of Sakura's new look like an anorexic Kerrigan from Star Craft with pink hair, less armor, pink around the iris in her eyes, and without the bone wings.

AN: We will get back to Naruto and his training next chapter. I didn't really like this chapter but I needed to get this out of the way and set up the next few chapters. It is a little shorter than usual but no less in content.

XX

I know some of you aren't happy about the Karin-centric-ness of the chapter but it is necessary I assure you. The things that happen in this chapter have far reaching consequences and not just for Sasuke and Sakura.

XX

As always, all reviews are welcomed and needed. Flames are also a form of accepted review but just make sure you tell me what is wrong instead of telling me I'm a 'piece of shit writer with no talent'.

Stay Reading,  
tomhunt98


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